Bhatkal: An unusual theft occurred in Bhatkal, where a thief entered a house and stole gold ornaments while the family members were engaged in Fajr (early morning) prayer. The incident occurred around 6 AM on Saturday at a residence on Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Road but came to light on Monday.

According to local businessman Altaf Kola, the theft occurred at his sister’s house when his nephew, Tajammul Hussain, left for the mosque for Fajr prayer. In his absence, an unidentified thief broke into the house. When he returned around 6:15 AM, Tajammul discovered that the thief had entered his 92-year-old grandmother Bibi Sara’s room and fled with her gold necklace and eight gold bangles.

At the time of the theft, Bibi Sara was resting in her bed, while Tajammul’s father, Tajuddin Askari, and mother were in another room offering prayers. The thief went directly to the elderly woman's room, covered her mouth to silence her, and stole eight bangles weighing around 78 grams and a gold necklace weighing approximately 14 grams before escaping.

CCTV cameras installed outside neighboring houses and nearby shops captured footage of the thief. According to the footage, the entire theft took place within just four minutes.

Tajammul mentioned that he routinely uses the back door for Fajr prayer, and since he returns within 15-20 minutes, they do not lock it from inside. He suspects that someone familiar with their routine or a nearby resident noticed this and took advantage of the opportunity. As soon as he left, the thief entered through the same door and fled with the jewelry.

A complaint has been filed at the Bhatkal Town Police Station, and efforts are underway to identify and apprehend the thief using CCTV footage.