Kozhikode: In a dramatic turn of events, stolen gold jewellery was found returned to the very same house it was looted from. The 25 sovereigns of gold, stolen last Saturday from a house at Mukkam, were spotted on Thursday morning hidden inside a bucket used to store laundry. The ornaments belonged to Sareena of Chakingal House.

The theft had occurred while Sareena and her family were away at a relative's house for a gathering. They had left the house around 8 pm and returned by 10 pm, only to find the gold missing from the boxes kept beneath a cupboard in the bedroom. The burglars had gained entry by removing roof tiles.

Following the complaint, Mukkam police launched an investigation. Sareena had expressed suspicion about some relatives in her complaint. However, the investigation took a curious twist when the stolen gold, except for one chain, was recovered from a bucket placed outside the house, among soiled clothes.

The jewellery was found when the family was about to do the laundry. Police suspect that the thief might have returned the jewellery out of fear of getting caught.

Mukkam police, meanwhile, confirmed the recovery and stated that efforts are on to identify the culprit.