Date:09/05/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/05/09/stories/2008050950420100.htm

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Jewels stolen from pawn broker’s shop

Special Correspondent

— Photo: A. Muralitharan

LOOKING FOR CLUES: Policemen examining the box from which jewellery was stolen at Kolapakkam on Thursday.

CHENNAI: A pawn broker’s shop in Kolapakkam, near Vandalur, was burgled and gold jewellery worth about Rs.20 lakh stolen on Thursday morning. Vinod Kumar Jain, a resident of Otteri Extension, near Tambaram, has been running the pawn broker’s shop for the past five years. He also sells new jewellery.

Around 4.30 a.m. on Thursday, D.Tirunavukkarasu (55), a resident of neighbouring Unamanchery village who had come to the Kolapakkam bus stop for a cup of tea, heard some noise from the bushes behind the shop.

Eyewitness attacked

When he went near the bushes, the suspects threw stones at him, causing injury to his legs. He went back to the bus stop and raised an alarm. A group of people responded to his cries for help but was reluctant to challenge the burglars, who, it thought, might be armed with weapons.

An hour later, over 100 people gathered and went towards the bush. They found the safe from the pawn broker’s shop broken open and the contents missing. By then, the burglars had fled the scene.

Mr. Jain said he had kept gold jewellery worth Rs.18 lakh to Rs. 20 lakh in the safe. Except for ‘thool nagai’ – small pieces of jewellery – the rest were all gone.

Five teams formed

Later, K. Periaiah, Superintendent of Police, Kancheepuram District, told reporters that five special teams were formed to track down the burglars and recover the jewellery.