Cash, gold worth Rs. 42 lakh looted from Vijayanagar house

Mysuru: In a brazen and one of the biggest daylight heists this year, burglars targeted a house in Vijayanagar’s 3rd Stage, making off with a staggering Rs. 34.67 lakh in cash and 89 grams of gold jewellery worth approximately Rs. 8 lakh.

The incident occurred on Wednesday when the house was left unattended as the family travelled to their native village for a festival. What should have been a joyful trip to their native village turned into a costly ordeal.

The victims, S. Basavaraju and his brother S. Deepak, who operate a real estate business under the name Vajreshwari Developers, had stored their business earnings at Deepak’s home over the past three months.

Before departing for Shivanasamudra in Chamarajanagar district on Mar. 25 to attend a village festival, Deepak had taken precautions by asking his sister Mangala and her daughter Akshata to stay overnight to guard the cash.

However, the two women also left for the festival early the next morning (Mar. 26), leaving the house unsecured.

Upon returning home late that night (Mar. 26), the family was shocked to discover the front door broken open.

A thorough search revealed that thieves had stolen Rs. 14.67 lakh kept in a bedroom wardrobe, another Rs. 20 lakh stored in the kitchen wardrobe, and 89 grams of gold jewellery worth Rs. 8 lakh, totalling worth about Rs. 42.67 lakh

The burglars appeared to have known exactly where to look, leading investigators to suspect insider involvement.

The Vijayanagar Police, who visited the scene  are currently investigating the matter.

“The precision with which the thieves located the hidden cash and jewellery suggests they had prior knowledge of the house and the trip to the native place,” said a Police official. Authorities are exploring all possible leads, including questioning acquaintances and examining local CCTV footage.

The incident serves as a stark reminder of the risks associated with keeping large sums of money and valuables at home, especially during extended absences. Police have urged residents to avoid storing cash or jewellery and to invest in fool-proof security measures.