A lone thief broke into a newly-opened Tanishq showroom in Tamil Nadu's Madurai and fled with gold and diamond jewellery worth about Rs 50 crore, in a daring overnight heist. CCTV footage showed the suspect entering the showroom through an opening near the lift shaft, where installation work was underway.The theft came to light on Thursday morning when employees arrived at the showroom and discovered that jewellery displayed for sale was missing.The staff immediately alerted the police, who rushed to the spot and launched an investigation.According to preliminary estimates, around 13 kg of gold jewellery and 3 kg of diamond jewellery had been stocked at the showroom.

However, the exact quantity and value of the stolen ornaments are yet to be established, with officials currently conducting an inventory.An examination of CCTV footage revealed that a man dressed entirely in black and wearing a full-face mask allegedly entered the showroom through an opening near the lift shaft. Investigators suspect that he used a rope installed for the ongoing lift work to access the building and reach the ground-floor showroom.The showroom is housed in a three-storey building and had been inaugurated on October 14.While sales were being conducted on the ground floor, the second floor was vacant and work was underway on the third floor to install lockers for storing jewellery.Several construction and maintenance activities, including lift installation, painting, electrical and plumbing work, were still in progress.An iron scaffolding structure has also been erected at the rear of the building for the ongoing work.Police suspect that the robber may have used the scaffolding to enter the premises.Nine special teams have been formed to track down the suspect.

Police have seized CCTV footage from the showroom and neighbouring areas.Investigators are also examining vehicles that passed through the area from around 3 am, when the robbery is suspected to have taken place, and questioning their owners.CCTV footage of the suspect has been circulated among police personnel deployed at major bus terminals and railway stations across Madurai.Given the showroom's proximity to the railway station, police are also examining the possibility that the suspect may have attempted to escape by train, potentially towards Kerala or other northern states.Surveillance has accordingly been intensified at railway stations, while vehicle checks have been stepped up across the district.Police are also probing whether the robbery involved individuals connected with the showroom's construction, interior decoration or showcase installation. Several workers from northern states had been engaged for these projects, and investigators are verifying their identities, whereabouts and mobile phone network locations.EPS TARGETS VIJAY OVER LAW AND ORDERMeanwhile, AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami attacked Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay over the robbery, alleging that Tamil Nadu's law-and-order situation had deteriorated.In a post on X, he claimed that jewellery worth Rs 50 crore had been stolen from the Tanishq showroom.He also referred to several other alleged robbery incidents across the state to accuse the government of failing to protect people's lives and property.Questioning the Chief Minister's claims on law and order, Palaniswami demanded immediate action against those involved in the robberies and urged the government to ensure public safety.- Ends