The recovered jewellery in police custody. Pictures by Badrika Nath Das

Cuttack, Dec. 12: Three persons were arrested today on charges of stealing gold and antique ornaments worth Rs 50 lakh last week from the house of Jayanti Samantaray, 55, granddaughter of the Kanika king.

The stolen items belonging to the royal family have been recovered.

Deputy commissioner of police S. Praveen Kumar said Jayanti’s domestic help of seven years, Tulasi Das, 35, had masterminded the burglary at Srivihar colony in Tulasipur, on December 6.

“The incident has a whiff of vengeance as Tulasi had been removed from her job recently. She executed the plan with the assistance of her cousin Mamata Pradhan, 45, and nephew Sunil, 23. They entered the house by breaking a skylight,” said Kumar.

Kumar said Tulasi knew where the keys of the safe were kept. They stole around a kilo of gold ornaments, two kilos of antique jewellery studded with precious stones and a Swiss watch.

The family was not at home when the burglary took place. The three accused were produced at the court this evening.

The royal family had not verified the credentials of the maid while hiring her, said Kumar.

“Though we are trying to create a lot of awareness about conducting background checks of house helps, only a handful of people are following safety guidelines,” Kumar said.

Police have found that Sunil was also involved in a chain-snatching incident under Bidanasi police limits on August 13.