A woman entrepreneur staying alone at a house at Thevakkal in Thrikkakara North remains baffled by a theft followed by the alleged visit of four strangers at her doorstep two days later.
Vaitla Santhoshi Roopa, who is originally from Hyderabad and runs a film production company here, had bought the house in January. When she was away in Dubai, the CCTV network at her home suddenly went dead in the early hours of April 12. One of her aides visited the house next day to find the cameras disconnected and the back door broken. Some valuables were also found missing following which Ms. Roopa rushed back home and registered a case with the Thrikkakara police.
According to the first information report, a gold chain studded with eight diamonds and valued at around ₹1.50 lakh was stolen from a drawer in the wardrobe of a bedroom on the first floor. The police have invoked IPC Sections 457 (lurking house-trespass or house-breaking by night in order to commit offence punishable with imprisonment), 461 (dishonestly breaking open receptacle containing property), and 380 (theft in dwelling house).
“Strangely, the CCTV cameras in my house have captured a car with four persons near my home on Monday night. One of them came in front of my gate all the while seeming to give instructions to someone over the phone. I was staying at a hotel since the police said they had to conduct forensic examination at the house before I moved in. When my security guard asked what he wanted, he left without answering,” said Ms. Roopa.
She again approached the police on Tuesday morning following which a forensic team collected evidence at the house. “We are in the process of investigating the case,” the police said.
Ms. Roopa, however, finds the entire sequence of events strange. For, the theft had happened precisely after her previous security guard had suddenly disappeared without notice. “Even the theft seemed strange as there were even more valuables at home, which were left untouched. Also, the strange visitors two days later also gives the impression that it could be beyond petty theft. I wonder whether it was an attempt to scare me since I live here alone,” she said.