Chennai: A search is underway to trace unidentified persons who drilled a hole into the wall of a pawn shop near Tiruvallur and decamped with gold jewellery, silver articles, and cash. Butharam, 46, a resident of Thamaraipakkam in Tiruvallur district, has been running a pawn shop in Erayur village for the past seven years. On Monday night, he closed the shop and returned home.Around 8am on Tuesday, Samsudeen, who runs a grocery store nearby, called Butharam and informed him that the rear wall of his shop had been breached and that pledged items were found scattered outside.Butharam rushed to the spot and found that four sovereigns of gold jewellery, silver articles weighing 176g, and 20,000 in cash had been stolen. Brass items kept in the shop were reportedly left behind by the thieves. Butharam lodged a complaint with the Pullarambakkam police, following which a case was registered. A special team has been formed to trace and apprehend the culprits. TNN
