Burglars target house of small-time actress in Porur

Even as the police conducted inquiry with one person, they are yet to quiz the actress who suspects that the crime was carried out by a few people known to her, the police said. 

Police said, Divya Venkataraman (24) lives by herself in a one BHK apartment in Ayyapanthangal while her husband lives in Singapore. A native of Andhra Pradesh, she had gone to Singapore to meet her husband on Friday and returned on Wednesday morning to find valuables missing in her house. In her complaint, Divya alleged that five sovereigns of gold jewels and Rs 60,000 was missing. 

A senior police official said, “The burglars entered the house after opening the padlock with a screwdriver. Divya lived in a small apartment on the second floor. The actress kept the cash and jewels in a box instead of locking it away inside the bureau. The burglars decamped with the box. The burglars had an easy time in identifying the valuables as the house wasn’t fully furnished.” 

Forensic experts collected fingerprints from the crime scene, while the police took into custody the house owner’s 30-year-old son for further interrogation. 

“However, on questioning him, he claimed that he saw the lock broken on Tuesday and had informed his parents. Divya claimed that she might know the culprits who committed the crime. We are yet to question Divya as we are waiting for the report from the forensic team before taking the further action in the case,” said a police source. 

The police suspect that the crime was committed by a regular visitor to the building. The police claimed that they now trying to collect a list of people who visited the apartment complex on the day when the crime is most likely to have been committed. The police hope to make headway in the case as only three families currently live in the building. Divya, who is a former child actress, currently works as backup dancer in films. 

The police took two juveniles into custody for attempting to break into a bakery on MBM Street in Vyasarpadi. A police patrol team that was on rounds came across the teenagers trying to break the lock into VSR Sweets Stall when they were apprehended. During interrogation, the youth confessed that they were trying to loot the bakery after breaking open the lock. The police identified both the youth as Ranjit and Kumar, both aged 16, from Pulianthope. “Both the accused are first time offender and we have remanded them to the Kellys observation home,” said a senior police official.