Jamshedpur: Burglars decamped with gold ornaments worth over Rs 5 lakh from a house in densely populated Garabasa under Golmuri thana in the small hours of Tuesday.

The house belongs to Mohan Jaiswal, a city businessman who was in Ranchi for work. It is located three blocks away from the residence of Dinesh Sahu, the East Singhbhum district president of the BJP and nephew of chief minister Raghubar Das.

Golmuri thana OC Arjun Ram said the burglar/s gained access to the single-storey house through the roof. "They broke open the lock to a grille gate and came downstairs to the living room. The jewellery was kept in a steel almirah, which was also broken open," the officer said, adding that they suspected the intruders used some sleep-inducing spray on the residents.

Jaiswal said he received a call from his wife around 7am. "She said we had been robbed. My wife and children were drowsy even after I reached home later in the day. The burglars used some chemical spray," he said.

The businessman said his son Vishal was appearing for his matriculation exams and had set the alarm for 2am so that he could rise and study. "But, the alarm did not wake him up or anyone else in the house, which is rather strange unless they were put to sleep," he added.

OC Ram said they were probing possibilities and would intensify night patrolling in the area.