Madurai: Gold jewelry weighing 30 kg, worth Rs. 50 crore, was stolen from a newly opened famous jewelry store on the Madurai bypass road. Police have launched an intensive investigation and formed five special teams to catch the robbers.
There is a newly constructed three-story commercial complex on Nehru Nagar Netaji Main Road, Palanganatham Bypass Road, Madurai. Even before the construction work there was fully completed, a jewelry store of the well-known private company (Tanishq) was opened, taking into account the Diwali sales season.
Jewelry sales were conducted only on the first floor. The previous night, after sales ended, the shop was locked. Yesterday morning at 9:30, when the employees came and opened the shop, the jewelry kept on the racks was missing. Some pieces of jewelry were found scattered around. Shocked employees immediately informed the police.
Senior officials, including City Police Commissioner Rajendran and Deputy Commissioner Inigo Divyan, came to the scene and conducted an investigation. A sniffer dog was brought in. Fingerprint experts collected evidence. More than 30 people, including shop employees and workers involved in the construction work, were questioned.
In the initial investigation, it was found that the burglars climbed onto the shop via the scaffolding that had been put up at the back of the building for installing a lift. They removed the exhaust fan there and entered the shop through that opening.
They then calmly gathered the jewelry from the racks into bags and took it away. After examining the footage from surveillance cameras installed at the back of the shop and in nearby buildings, it was found that the burglars were wearing masks. Police said the robbery may have taken place around 3 a.m.
Since it is a new store, 48 kilograms of gold jewelry were initially purchased. The store management said that, after sales, the remaining 30 kilograms (3,750 sovereigns) of gold jewelry and diamond jewelry were stolen. Their value is said to be more than Rs. 50 crore. Madakulam police have registered a case in this regard.
The robbery, which took place at a major junction with heavy public movement and surrounded by surveillance cameras, has caused shock. To catch the robbers, five special teams comprising five assistant commissioners and police inspectors have been formed under the leadership of Deputy Commissioner Inigo Divyan.
Police conducted inquiries in areas including Madakulam, Nehru Nagar, and Bypass Road. Surveillance camera footage from the railway station and bus station is also being examined. Fingerprints of 25 employees working at the shop have been collected. Details of the workers engaged in construction work have also been gathered.
When senior police officials spoke about this, they said, “The store’s formal opening ceremony had been planned for the end of this month. Generally, after sales are over, it is customary to keep the jewelry in a safe. However, in this store, the jewelry was not kept in a locker but was left on the racks themselves. It is possible that store employees and some of those involved in the construction work knew about this.”
Moreover, the shop did not have adequate security arrangements or an alarm system. Based on information provided by those who know these details, we are also investigating whether a robbery took place. The investigation has been intensified based on cellphone calls recorded in that area at the time of the robbery and CCTV footage. The camera footage has captured the image of a person wearing a mask. We will soon arrest the robbers and recover the jewelry,” they said.
Robbers avoided the jewelry that would trigger an alarm: Various designs of jewelry were displayed on the racks in the jewelry store. Some of them were arranged so that if anyone other than the employees picked them up, an alarm would sound. Knowing this, the robbers avoided such pieces and took only the other jewelry.
Police suspect that the robbers may have known in advance about the jewelry that would trigger an alarm. As a result, an investigation is also under way into whether any of the store employees were involved.
