Mangaluru: In a bizarre case of theft, a thief fled away with cash and gold after asking the aged owner of a house to go out and get some mango leaves for him. The theft took place at Kaukrady in Puttur on Monday.

Around 3.15 pm, an unidentified man arrived on his bike at the 70-year-old Kinhanna Gowda’s house. The man developed a rapport over talks with Gowda and then asked him for some mango leaves saying he needed them for a ritual at his house.

Without suspecting him, Gowda, who was staying alone in the house, locked the main door and placed the key on the extruded portion of window outside and covered it with an utensil. Then he went to his farm to collect mango twigs.

When he came back, Gowda, to his dismay saw the main door of the house open and the man missing. On checking the house, he found that the cupboard in his bed room was broke open, and gold and cash was missing.

Gowda, in his complaint at the Uppinangadi police station, has stated that five sovereign gold and Rs 50,000 cash had been missing from the cupboard.

Police said Gowda hasn’t identified the accused.