Investigators suspect the thief used it to reach an upper level before descending through the lift shaft into the showroom. (Image generated using AI)Around 20 kg of gold jewellery was stolen from a newly opened Tanishq showroom in Madurai, with police suspecting that a masked man entered the premises through a lift passage while construction work was under way.All the stolen items were from the display section while jewellery inside the lockers was untouched, police said.Employees discovered the burglary when they arrived for work Thursday morning at the outlet on Bypass Road. The exact quantity and value of the missing jewellery were yet to be confirmed as staff checked the stock.“Preliminary evidence pointed to a man entering through the upper part of the building,” an officer, who was part of the investigation, said, adding an opening near the lift appeared to have provided access. Police have formed five teams to investigate the incident.Civil and maintenance work, including wiring, was being carried out at the rear of the building, where scaffolding remained in place. Investigators suspect the thief used it to reach an upper level before descending through the lift shaft into the showroom. They were examining whether anyone helped him.Parts of showroom building still under constructionThe showroom had opened only weeks earlier, with parts of the building still under construction. Police are investigating how the intruder gained access despite security staff being stationed outside. Much of the jewellery, though, remained in the showroom.Police were also examining CCTV footage of a person wearing a face covering and gloves and carrying a black bag and a trolley bag in the area. Investigators were yet to establish whether the person was connected to the burglary.Story continues below this adThey were studying the person’s height, build, gait and shoulder movements and collecting footage from nearby roads, businesses and petrol bunks to trace the route taken.Forensic experts and sniffer dogs were brought to the showroom. Employees and those involved in the construction work, including engineers, electricians and plumbers, were being questioned separately.Initial accounts differed on the number of suspects and the entry route. One described three people breaking a rear wall and doors, while others reported no such damage and pointed to the lift passage. Police were examining CCTV footage to establish the sequence of events and whether more than one person was involved.Arun Janardhanan is an experienced and authoritative Tamil Nadu correspondent for The Indian Express... Read More