Chennai: Sixteen sovereigns of gold and one kg of silver were burgled from a house in Madhavaram.

According to the police, Shanmugam (72) of Devi Nagar runs a grocery shop in the locality and lives with his two married sons, Karthi and Ganesh, in a joint family.

They live on the ground floor of a house converted into four portions. The police said the house is located in an isolated area near Puzhal lake.

On 1 January, Shanmugam, along with other family members, went to his daughter’s house in Kundrathur to celebrate New Year. However, when they returned home yesterday, they found that the main door was broken open.

Valuables were missing only from Karthi’s room. The police said 16 sovereigns of gold and silver articles were stolen after the thieves broke open the bureau. However, the cupboard in the next room was untouched which also had valuables.

Based on a complaint, the Madhavaram police have registered a case and have launched a hunt for the burglars.