No valuables to rob, man flees with bird cages & LPG cylinders

CHENNAI: Police are searching for an unidentified man who attempted to rob 5 houses in CTO colony, Tambaram, and looted LPG cylinders and bird cages from two of them since he couldn’t find any valuables in any of the houses.

Kannan, a retired Electricity Board staff in the area, had gone to his native in Tiruchy with his family a few days ago. On Saturday morning, when Kannan returned home, he was shocked to see the main door of the house broken.

Kannan found his home in complete disarray, and the LPG cylinders from kitchen missing. When he checked the CCTV footage, he found a man with a cap entering his home and walking out with cylinders.

In the same locality, the same man had looted bird cages from another house, which was also recorded on CCTV kept in the area.

Police said the intruder had broken the main door of 5 houses in the locality and since he couldn’t find any valuables, he took the LPG cylinders and bird cages.

The Tambaram police, who visited the spot, gathered all residents in a spot. Cops told them to inform the police control room if they found anyone roaming suspiciously on the roadside, and encouraged them to be vigilant until the case is resolved.

They also promised residents that they’d increase patrolling in the CTO colony. The police have registered a case and a search is on to nab the intruder with the help of CCTV.

Tension was high in the CTO colony, a silent residential area, which seems to have frustrated a small-time thief enough to walk away with just LPG cylinders and some bird cages. These items wouldn’t fetch him more than a couple of thousand ruppees.