In what appears to be a carefully planned burglary, unidentified persons broke into a jewellery shop on Manjari-Mundhwa road by drilling a hole through a wall of the shop’s toilet and escaped with gold and silver ornaments and cash worth crores of rupees in the early hours of Monday; the police said.According to the police, the accused drilled a hole measuring around one-and-a-half feet in diameter in the wall of the shop’s toilet through which they then entered the shop, thus minimising noise and bypassing the main entrance and other security measures. (REPRESENTATIVE PHOTO)The burglary took place at Aradhya jewellery store located in Mhasoba Vasti, Manjari-Mundhwa road. Preliminary investigation revealed that the burglars struck at around 3 am on Monday after gaining access to the premises via an adjoining property. Behind the jewellery shop, there is a watchman’s cabin adjacent to the shop’s toilet in the parking area. From this cabin, the accused drilled a hole in the wall of the shop’s toilet through which they then entered the shop.According to the police, the accused drilled a hole measuring around one-and-a-half feet in diameter in the wall of the shop’s toilet through which they then entered the shop, thus minimising noise and bypassing the main entrance and other security measures. Once inside, the burglars ransacked the shop and made away with gold and silver ornaments, cash, and other valuables. They tried to break open a locker in the shop using a gas cutter but failed. Consequently, the valuables in the locker remained safe.When the owner Shankarlal Mali opened his shop in the morning, he immediately realised that it had been burgled and lost no time in informing the local police.A team from the local crime branch along with senior police officers and forensic experts inspected the crime scene soon after. CCTV footage from the jewellery shop and nearby commercial establishments is being examined to trace the suspects’ movements before and after the crime. The police said that five to six suspects have been traced in the CCTV camera footage, some of whom were wearing masks. The police are also collecting forensic evidence, including fingerprints and other material left behind at the scene.Babasaheb Nikam, senior police inspector at Manjari police station, said, “After assessment, it is confirmed that a total 211 gm of gold and 94 kg of silver worth ₹2.55 crore were stolen by unidentified individual/s.”Jiwan Beniwal, deputy commissioner of police (zone 6), said, “The police suspect a security guard who is absconding after the burglary. On July 6, he joined duty. We have collected CCTV footage and further investigation is going on.”The process to register an FIR has been initiated at Manjari police station, and a search has been launched to trace the accused. The police are questioning nearby residents, shopkeepers and security personnel to establish whether the burglars carried out a recce of the place before committing the theft. The police believe multiple persons were involved in the operation, and are probing whether the accused used a vehicle to transport the stolen jewellery.