VILLUPURAM: With 10 incidents of theft, robbery and chain-snatching reported in and around Villupuram in the past week, residents have urged police to intensify night patrols after jewellery and silver articles worth Rs 12 lakh were stolen from the house of a retired cooperative bank manager.

Police said the burglary took place at the house of Sekar (74), a retired manager of the Villupuram District Central Cooperative Bank, at Gautham Nagar in Valudareddy.

Sekar and his wife had locked their house and gone to Chennai to visit relatives on May 23. When they returned on Tuesday morning, they found the front iron gate lock and the wooden door broken open.

On entering the house, they discovered that the bureau had been broken into and 12 sovereigns of gold jewellery, along with 750 grams of silver articles, had been stolen.

Following a complaint, Villupuram Taluk police visited the spot and conducted inquiries. Fingerprint experts collected evidence from the house.

Police suspect unidentified persons monitored the house after noticing that nobody was staying there before breaking in and stealing the valuables.

A case has been registered, and police are examining CCTV footage from the locality to trace the suspects.

Residents said repeated incidents of theft and robbery in Villupuram town and nearby areas, including Koliyanur and Valavanur, had created fear among the public.