Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal (EP)

Bantwal, Oct 24: A man employed in the residence of a well-known builder  has been accused of stealing ornaments and cash worth lacs from the latter's house at Farangipete and has reportedly gone absconding. This incident came to light at the Mangaluru rural police station limits rather late.

A police complaint said that Rs 2,75,000 in cash and Rs 4,96,000 worth jewellery kept in the cupboard of Mohammed Zafarulla's Kodimajal house, a Pudu village resident and proprietor of Imad Builderswere was reported stolen by the domestic help.

Manjeshwar-based Ali had joined work with Imad Builders proprietor Mohammed Zafarulla about eight months ago. Ali had married a girl from Farangipete and was close to the owner Zafarulla. Therefore he was working as his assistant. Zafarulla used to send necessary groceries to his home through Ali. The overconfidence in Ali proved costly to Zafarulla.

Residents of the home had locked the house on October 18 and had been to the house of the younger brother of Zafarulla at Jeppu. They had given the house key to Ali. When Mohammed Zafarulla called up Ali on October 19 in connection with the construction work, Ali's phone was found switched off. The owner who did not take this matter seriously had gone to Bengaluru on some work on October 20. But Ali's phone remained switched off even when he called up from Bengaluru.

Mohammed returned home on October 23 at about 8 pm. The house door was locked. Ali's phone continued to remain switched off even when Mohammed called him to take the house key. When he peeped into the house through the window out of suspicion from the back door, he found the door of the room open. The cupboard locker was also found broken and the goods in it were scattered.

Mohammed complained to the rural police immediately. The house door was broken open in the presence of police personnel and Rs 25 lacs in cash, Rs 2,50,000 in cash kept inside the father's cupboard, gold ornaments worth Rs 4,96,000 including a 24-gram bracelet, gold rings weighing 16 grams, gold bangles weighing 40 grams, gold earrings weighing 8 grams, gold chain weighing 32 grams and another gold chain weighing 4 grams were missing.

Bantwal rural police inspector Shivakumar, SI Harish and forensic experts were pressed into service. A case in this connection was registered and investigations are under way.