When the doctor returned to the room, the gold ornaments were missing. (Representational image created using AI)
A US-based doctor lost gold ornaments worth approximately Rs 1 crore after they were stolen from a locked room at a Bengaluru wedding hall on April 22, the police said.
Dr Siruvella Sridevi, 52, travelled from the United States to Bengaluru on April 18 to attend the wedding of her sister’s son. She stayed at her brother’s home in Ganganagar on Ballari Road and brought her gold jewellery along with her, according to the police.
The police said she arrived at SDP Palace on Old Madras Road in Bidarahalli, the wedding venue, around 11.30 am on Wednesday. By 6.30 pm, her brother handed over a box containing the gold ornaments to her in the hall. Dr Sridevi wore a few pieces for the reception and locked the remaining jewellery inside the room before joining the celebration. When she returned between 7.30 pm and 11.30 pm, the ornaments were missing, despite the room door appearing locked and the key remaining in her possession throughout.
The missing jewellery is reported to weigh around 725 g.
Dr Sridevi filed a formal complaint the next afternoon at the Avalahalli police station, also mentioning that a worker from the wedding hall had visited her room while she was getting ready.
“We have not ruled out the involvement of someone known to the victim or her family besides the suspect, given that the key was with her at all times. We have reviewed CCTV footage to determine whether anyone entered the room using a duplicate key. Family members and individuals who had access to the room are also being questioned,” a police officer said.
The police said the wedding hall’s manager, Prabhu, denied any staff involvement in the theft and was cooperating with the investigation.
Saidulu Adavath, Deputy Commissioner of Police, Whitefield Division, told reporters that the investigation was underway in the case.
Curated by Shiv Shakti Mishra
