Unidentified persons broke into the house of a retired railway official at Rangampalayam and stole 55 sovereigns of jewellery in broad daylight on Monday.

Police said Samiyappan, a resident of Kandan Nagar, had left his house in the morning to attend the funeral of a relative. On returning home in the afternoon, he found the front door of the house and a bureau inside broken. The burglars reportedly stole 55 sovereigns of jewellery kept in the bureau.

A sniffer dog squad and fingerprint experts were pressed into service as part of the investigation. The Erode Taluk police conducted inquiries, registered a case, and launched further investigation. Three special teams were formed to nab the accused.