Jewellery worth 45 L stolen from Kandivli store

MUMBAI: A Kandivli-based jewellery store was looted of gold and silver ornaments worth Rs 45 lakh late on Sunday. The burglars drilled a hole into the wall of the store to gain entry into it.
The incident took place at V S Malankar Jewellers, which is located on Vasantji Lalji Road. Shankar Malankar, the owner of the shop, discovered the burglary on Monday morning.
The burglars used a shop lying vacant next to the jewellery store to drill a hole in its wall. They made way with 5 kg of gold ornaments and 65 kg of silver jewellery.
Police officials said the keys to the vault were lying inside the store itself.
After entering through the hole, the thieves easily opened the vault.
"Neither close-circuit cameras nor burglar alarms had been installed. The vault had not been smashed or damaged in any way," a police official said. The shutter of the adjoining vacant shop was wide open. This shop has been vacant for nearly two decades now.
"The night watchman of the society, where the store is located, has been summoned for questioning. His duty ended at 8 am on Monday and his cellphone has been switched off since then. After recording his statement, we will be able to ascertain if he saw anything unusual," an IPS official said.
Officials added that the burglars had cut off electric wires to prevent getting an electric shock and later attached the wires with duct tape.