Bhatkal: Unidentified miscreants struck at a house at Jali road around 9pm on Thursday and decamped with gold ornaments worth around 25 lakhs and cash of Rs 5 lakhs. It is reported that more than 25 gold coins along with gold jewellery all were stolen from locked cup-board.

The house, which is at a little distance from the rural police station, belonged to NRI Syed Farooque Ambari who had recently returned to Bhatkal from Dubai after his retirement and resides with his wife and 2 children. 

According to the sources, all the house members left the house to offer Ramzan special prayer called Taraweeh at around 9pm. When the family members returned back around 10pm, they found the front door open and the lock thrown aside. Inside, they found a cupboard open and objects strewn all over the room. Surprisingly, only the room which possessed valuables was rummaged. 

Sources also revealed that the lock of the front door was damaged some time ago and hence the family members had borrowed the lock from a neighbour's house. It was speculated that the neighbours or the people acquainted with the neighbours might be involved in the theft and the miscreants were waiting for the family members to leave the house.

When the news spread, Vice-President of Majlis-e-Islah-wa-Tanzeem, Inayatullah Shabandari, vice president of TMC- Dr. S M Syed Saleem and former general secretary of Bhatkal Muslim gulf council S M Syed Hashim visited the spot and expressed their displeasure over the thefts occuring in the area.

Bhatkal CPI Prashanth Nayak, PSI Revathi amongst many other police officials investigated the spot. Further probes will be carried out after the arrival of fingerprint experts.