CHENNAI: A four-member gang broke open the door of a house at Bhima Nagar in Tiruchy in the evening hours and escaped with 18 sovereign jewels.

Based on the alert by the house owner, the police arrested one minor and the search is on for the other three.

S Rajasekar (29), a resident of Kooni Bazaar in Bhima Nagar in Tiruchy has been working in a private transport firm at Ariyamangalam.

Rajesekar had gone to Palani to conduct the ear-piercing ceremony for his son, on Friday. When he returned home at around 7.30 pm, he found the doors were locked from inside and the lights were on inside the house. He also sensed the people's movement.

The alert Rajasekar immediately locked the front and back doors from outside and passed on the information to the police control room. By this time, the culprits inside the house sensed that they were at risk and escaped through the kitchen from where they had entered the house. They jumped off the neighbouring house and attempted to flee.

Rajasekar and his neighbours chased them but they could secure only a minor while the three others escaped in the vicinity of the darkness.

While the public had caught hold of the boy, Rajasekar went inside the house and found that they had escaped with 18 sovereign jewellery.

Meanwhile, on information, Palakkarai police rushed to the spot and the people handed over the boy to them. A search is on for the other three.