P Chidambaram family's ancestral house burgled

An uninhabited ancestral house of Union Home Minister P Chidambaram's family located near his residence at his native Kandanur in was burgled on Monday, a police official said.

Window grills of five rooms on the ground floor of the house, belonging to Chidambaram and his two brothers, were found cut and four rooms broken open, DSP Mangaleswaran, who went to the spot for investigations, said.

It was not known when the burglary took place and it came to light when the house manager Athmanadhan opened the door this afternoon as he does every four or five days, he said.

One room on the ground floor and three of the ten rooms on the first floor were found broken open, police said.

The house, known in local parlance as pangu veedu (common property of the clan), had been inherited by Chidambaram's father who belonged to the erstwhile Royal clan in Sivaganga region.

Police, who launched investigations acting on a complaint from Athmanadhan, said they suspected the burglary could have taken place four or five days ago.

Athmanadhan said in his complaint some vessels kept in one of the rooms were missing, police said.

A strong police contingent has been posted in the area for security. Sniffer dogs and forensic experts have been pressed into service to nab those behind the burglary, officials said.