The incident occurred around 2.30 am on Tuesday. The four inmates, 52-year-old doctor Sakthivel, his doctor wife and his parents, were tied by the gang to chairs in the house before looting and fleeing with valuables and cash, sources said.

South Zone Inspector General of Police TS Anbu, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Dindigul Range Rupesh Kumar Meena, Superintendent of Police VR Srinivasan inspected the spot and conducted inquiries. Fingerprint expert examined the scene of the crime and a sniffer dog was brought to the spot.

Preliminary inquiries revealed that four masked men who committed the robbery later fled in the doctor’s car. Thirteen special teams have been formed to nab the culprits.

The investigating team achieved an initial breakthrough in the case by spotting the car at a remote place between Dindigul four-lane highway and Ramarajapuram Road on Tuesday evening.