45 sovereigns gold, ₹10,000 stolen from house in Chevayur; third similar incident in a week

Kozhikode: Forty-five sovereigns of gold and ₹10,000 in cash were stolen from a house in Chevayur here on Sunday. The incident took place at the residence of Dr Gayathri, an anaesthetist at the Government Medical College Hospital. The house, located in Chevarambalam near Chevayur, was burgled while the family was away for two weeks. 

According to the police, the burglars broke open the front door and looted the ornaments. "The theft came to light when the family returned home around noon on Sunday and found the door broken," a Chevayur police officer told Onmanorama. Gayathri had left for her native place in Thiruvananthapuram on September 11. The police said that they have registered a case and started an investigation.

This marks the third similar incident reported within the Chevayur Police Station limits in a week. Earlier thefts were reported from Parambil Bazar on September 21 and September 26, during which 10 sovereigns and 22 sovereigns of gold were stolen, respectively.

In the September 26 case, gold worth ₹18.5 lakh was stolen from the house of Vishnu Achadathil Poyil. The family had left their home at 9:45 pm on September 25 to visit a hospital where a relative had been admitted, and returned around 11:15 pm the next day. They found the back door broken and gold ornaments missing from a wardrobe and a dressing table drawer.

Vishnu filed a complaint with the Chevayur station. "We have handed over the CCTV footage to the police. In the video, a thief can be seen approaching the house and putting on a mask after entering," Vishnu told Onmanorama. 

Another 10 sovereigns of gold were stolen from a house in Parambil Bazar during the night of September 21, while the residents were away. The burglary took place at Sivadham House, where the upper floor had been rented out. 

According to the complainant, Anjusha Purushothaman, both families were away at the time of the incident. "The front door of the upper floor and a door on the staircase were broken. The tenant’s wardrobe was found open, but nothing was stolen from them. We lost over 10 sovereigns of gold, along with watches, silver ornaments, and imitation jewellery," she said. 

The value of the stolen gold is estimated at ₹8 lakh. Police have registered a case and started an investigation.