Date:18/04/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/04/18/stories/2005041810750300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Burglary at residential complex baffles police

Karthik Subramanian

Police suspect the burglars could have used duplicate keys

CHENNAI: Two residents of Rani Enclave, a multi-apartment complex, on Kutti Appan Street in Secretariat Colony near Kelly's Corner, have complained to the police that their houses were burgled on Saturday evening, when their families were away on an outing.

There were no signs of forced entry into the apartments and the families have complained that the burglary could have taken place between 6 p.m. and 7 p.m. Police suspect that the burglars could have used duplicate keys.

The police are interrogating a carpenter, who worked in one of the apartments a couple of months ago.

The complainants live in the ninth block of the 70-apartment complex, situated in the farthest corner of the building. The police and residents are baffled how the burglars could have walked into the apartments in the evening and walked away with the goods.

M. Balu Dayanandan, an LPG distributor, who lives on the second floor of ninth block, has complained that Rs.1.04 lakhs in cash and 40 sovereigns of gold ornaments were missing.

The police said Karthikeyan, who lives on the first floor, complained that Rs.30,000 in cash and 18 sovereigns in gold were missing. He, however, refused to divulge details on his losses to the media. "We suffered only minor losses. Only some silver articles are missing," he said.

Mr. Dayanandan said a similar theft was reported in the residential complex a couple of months ago.