A gang of burglars managed to break into the house of Tarn Taran Deputy Commissioner Moneesh Kumar and fled with gold and diamond jewellery, worth lakhs, Chandigarh Police said on Monday.

According to investigators, the alleged burglary took place between July 19 and July 24, when the Deputy Commissioner and his wife, Mrinalini C Kumar, were away in Hyderabad for the admission of their daughter. The residence of the Deputy Commissioner is located opposite the market in Sector 7, and has a police beat box located 30 metres away from the house. Mrinalini C Kumar is medical officer at GMSH-16.

The burglary, the second such incident in the locality within a month’s time, has left residents of the area perturbed, with many citing lax police vigil in the area leading to an uptick in such incidents of late.

According to the police, the stolen items include seven gold/diamond sets, 10-12 gold/diamond rings, 8-10 gold chains, three diamond bangles, one gold kara, four gold bangles, four watches, 15-20 silver coins, 5-6 gold coins, one diamond mangalsutra, 2-3 diamond rings, one gold chain and a gold/diamond topaz ornament.

Investigators said that the couple returned home from Hyderabad on Sunday and found that their house had been ransacked. Officers claimed that the burglars had allegedly entered the house after first scaling the entry gate and then breaking the locks. The men then presumably escaped through a door in the kitchen.

A complaint regarding the theft was lodged by the DC’s wife, after which a case was registered at the Sector 26 police station.

“Our daughter got admission at the Law University in Hyderabad. We had gone there to complete some formalities for her. Our driver, Sandeep, who was in Chandigarh, noticed the broken locks and ransacked house. He informed us about when we landed in Delhi. I have raised the issue with Chandigarh Police DGP and SSP. My house is a government quarter situated opposite a market. The market is a happening place. And a beat police box is located a stone’s throw away. I told police officers that if my house could be targeted, then imagine what the condition of a common man in Chandigarh will be. The burglars did not touch anything apart from our jewellery. In fact, they left behind many silver idols,” Deputy Commissioner of Tarn Taran, Moneesh Kumar, told The Indian Express.

Earlier, a theft had been reported at the house of the Patiala Deputy Commissioner (DC) Sakshi Sawhney on June 28, in the same area. In that incident, burglars had managed to flee with Rs 2 lakh in cash, two pairs of gold earrings, a gold chain, a diamond earring set and a set of bracelets, besides other valuables.

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