Masked Man, Unsealed Ventilator: How 10.5 kg Gold Was Stolen In Madurai

The hunt for a masked man who made away with 10.5 kg of gold and one kg of diamond ornaments from a newly opened Tanishq showroom in Tamil Nadu's Madurai is continuing, with investigators yet to establish his identity or find a major breakthrough.

The theft took place on Wednesday night and came to light only on Thursday morning when employees arrived at the showroom. CCTV footage being examined by the police appears to show a man with his face covered leaving the premises and escaping on a two-wheeler. Police have confirmed that the operation was carried out by a lone person.

Madurai City Police Commissioner S Rajendran told NDTV that the police were analysing CCTV footage from the showroom and surrounding areas to identify the suspect. "We are analysing all CCTV images for possible leads to identify the person. The man appears to be masked, but at the moment we can't confirm," he said.

The focus of the investigation is now on how the intruder managed to enter the premises and carry out the theft without being detected.

The showroom, which opened only a few weeks ago on October 14, had a security guard deployed at the front. However, the thief is suspected to have used scaffolding erected at the rear of the building to climb up and gain access through a ventilator opening. The opening had been temporarily covered but had not been properly sealed, investigators say.

Construction and finishing work, including plumbing, tile-laying and lift-related work, was still underway at the premises. 

Another significant security lapse appears to have been the absence of a locker to secure the jewellery at night. As a result, the ornaments were left on display stands even after business hours, leaving a substantial quantity of gold and diamond jewellery inside the showroom overnight.

Police are now pursuing multiple lines of investigation. Apart from analysing CCTV footage, investigators are collecting tower dump data to identify mobile phone calls made or received by people in the vicinity around the time of the theft. This is expected to help narrow down possible suspects and establish whether anyone else was involved.

Investigators are also looking for leads on the two-wheeler used by the thief to escape, hoping that identifying the vehicle could help establish the suspect's identity.

The police are also screening the records of previous offenders involved in similar thefts and robberies. Commissioner Rajendran said investigators were examining suspects and ruling them out one by one.