Idukki: A canny thief who broke into a house at Balagram near Nedumkandam in Kerala's Idukki district made away with nearly 23 sovereigns of gold ornaments that were for use by a bride-to-be. Before decamping, the robber had replaced the ornaments with imitation jewellery.
The incident took place at the house of one P K Reji. The lost jewels were in a bag kept inside the almirah. Reji was in hospital in Kottayam along with his family members from July 2 to 8 to seek treatment for his wife. It is suspected that the robbery was committed during one of these days.
It is said that the thief replaced the ornaments with fake ones in a bid to delay the detection of theft. The family realised that the gold was stolen when they checked the almirah on Thursday.
The gold ornaments were procured for the wedding of Reji's daughter.
There is no sign of the house being broken into. The key of the almirah was kept underneath the bed when the family was away. The thief used this key to open the almirah and make away with the gold.
Forensic experts conducted checks at the house and found one unusual fingerprint. The team led by Cumbummettu CI G Sunil Kumar and Nedumkandam SI Rasaq also conducted checks and have reportedly got crucial leads.
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