The house belongs to SECL employee Navneet Nath and is occupied on rent by Rajoo Modi, a chief manager with the State Bank of India, who lives there with his family. At the time of the incident on Friday night, the house was locked as the family had travelled to Raipur.
According to Modi, he and his family left for Raipur on Friday morning and returned around 1 am. “When I unlocked the door and went inside, I found household items scattered. The iron rod of the bedroom window was broken, indicating a forced entry,” he said. He immediately alerted the police by calling the emergency helpline and informed the Manikpur outpost.
Police officials reached the spot soon after and initiated an investigation. Preliminary findings indicate that the burglars entered the house by breaking the window grille and targeted the bedroom almirah.
Despite the house containing valuables such as ₹20,000 in cash and a laptop, the thieves did not touch them. Instead, they stole gold jewellery, including four chains, lockets, rings and tops, collectively valued at around ₹5 lakh. Police said the selective nature of the theft suggests prior knowledge or a focused intent.
To assist the investigation, a dog squad and forensic team were deployed at the scene. The sniffer dog, named Bagha, traced a trail from the house to Podhi Bahar Maidan, nearly one kilometre away, where an empty liquor bottle was found. Investigators are examining whether the item is linked to the suspects.
Police are also scanning CCTV footage from nearby roads and residential areas to identify the movement of the culprits before and after the crime. Local residents have been questioned as part of the inquiry.
Manikpur outpost in-charge Parmeshwar Rathore said a case has been registered and multiple teams are working on leads. “We are analysing forensic inputs and CCTV recordings. Efforts are on to identify and apprehend the accused at the earliest,” he said.
The incident has raised concerns among residents over house break-ins during short absences. Police have advised homeowners to inform local stations before leaving their houses unattended and to ensure adequate security arrangements.
