Kottayam: A major burglary has been reported from the house of a priest at Kooroppada village, which is about 20 km east of Kottayam town. About 50 sovereigns of gold jewellery and Rs 1 lakh in cash have been lost as per preliminary assessment.

The break-in happened when Father Jacob Ninan and other family members had gone out for prayer on Tuesday. Preliminary investigation suggests that the culprit is a close acquaintance of the family.

A part of the stolen gold was later found near the house.

Chilly powder was found sprinkled all around the property in a bid to mask human scent. Further investigation is on.