Davanagere: Everyone loves gold, but acquiring it requires significant wealth. When some cannot afford it, stealing becomes an easy way to obtain it. While theft by strangers is one thing, in this case, the crime was committed by neighbors.

The incident occurred in Basavapattana, Channagiri taluk, Davanagere district, on August 14 at Chiradoni Camp. Thieves broke into a house and stole mangalsutras belonging to a mother-in-law and daughter-in-law. Despite the house being equipped with 14 CCTV cameras, the thieves meticulously planned the heist. They struck when no men were present in the house.Also Read: BMTC Bus Driver Assaulted by Auto Driver for Stopping at Signal: Refusal to Give Way Sparks Attack

Two intruders, armed with a machete and a knife, entered the house. The daughter-in-law, Sumalatha, noticed the intruders and screamed, prompting one of the thieves to attack her. While trying to escape, Sumalatha sustained an injury to her hand. The thief snatched her mangalsutra, and she quickly ran to the bedroom, locked the door, and called her husband. Meanwhile, the thieves also stole the mother-in-law Veerayamma’s mangalsutra. In total, they made off with two gold mangalsutras weighing 110 grams and fled the scene.TIMEX Classics Analog Watch for Men with Round Dial & Water Resistant Man's Wrist Watches

The Basavapattana police registered a case and launched an investigation. The perpetrators had covered three of the 14 CCTV cameras with cloth during the theft. The remaining CCTV cameras captured the movements of the culprits.

The police arrested three individuals from the same village: Shivamurthy, Ramesh, and Rudresh.

The authorities recovered a machete used in the crime and two mangalsutras worth ₹12.28 lakh.

The trio was also involved in a separate case on April 27, where they broke into a house in Chiradoni Camp and stole gold ornaments from one Hamsataraka’s residence.

This serves as a warning: those observing you daily could be the ones plotting a theft. Stay vigilant.