Date:05/01/2009 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2009/01/05/stories/2009010557760400.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Burglars strike at church in Besant Nagar

Special Correspondent

CHENNAI: Burglars broke open a hundi in the Annai Velankanni Church at Besant Nagar and stole at least Rs. 1 lakh .

According to the church administrator A. Thomas, the hundi, located in the chapel, was found broken early on Sunday. “More than Rs. 1 lakh has been stolen. We open the nine hundis located in different parts of the church every Monday. Video footage recorded by surveillance camera shows an unidentified person moving inside the church at about 4.30 a.m. It appears that more than one person is involved,” he said.

Additional Commissioner of Police (Law and Order) A.K. Viswanathan visited the church.

A special team of the Shastri Nagar police has been formed to investigate.

Private security personnel were on duty at the time of the incident.

A similar case was reported in the church four years ago, the police said.