Daijiworld Media Network – Mangaluru
Mangaluru, Aug 5: A theft case has been reported under the Barke police station limits after a woman alleged that gold ornaments weighing approximately 171 grams and valued at Rs 8.5 lac went missing from a locked safe in her house.
The complainant, Pooja P, stated in her complaint that her husband, who works abroad, had returned to India on July 19. The couple resides in a joint family, and due to the deteriorating health of her husband’s grandmother, Ratna, a woman named Geetha from Karwar was appointed as a daytime caregiver.
On July 20, Pooja, along with her husband, children, and other relatives, visited the Polali Temple. Before leaving, she wore a gold bangle taken from a jewellery box stored inside a safe locker in the bedroom cupboard. Upon returning home, she placed the bangle back in the box, locked the safe, and placed the key under a stack of papers on a cupboard shelf. The cupboard door was shut, but not locked.
Later that same evening, Pooja went to retrieve the key but noticed it was missing. Despite an extensive search, the key could not be located, and the family assumed it had simply been misplaced. On July 22, her husband, mother-in-law, children, and another family member visited the Mangaluru One centre in Lalbagh. During their absence, only Geetha and the elderly grandmother were at home.
On July 23, Pooja and her children left to visit her mother’s house in Kodaje, Mani, while her husband returned home on July 25. Pooja and the children came back on July 26, and once again searched for the missing key, but it remained untraceable.
Eventually, on July 28, Pooja’s husband contacted a locksmith, who opened the safe in Pooja’s presence and fitted a new lock and key. However, when the safe was opened the following morning, several gold ornaments from the jewellery box were found missing.
Following internal discussions with family members, Pooja filed a formal complaint at Barke police station on August 3. Police have initiated an investigation and are examining those who had access to the home during the relevant time period. The role of the caregiver, Geetha, is reportedly being closely looked into as part of the probe.