Their men may be guarding the borders of the country in the face of treacherous enemies and hostile terrain. But back home, there is nothing to shield these women from vagabonds and hoodlums of the society at large.

Wives of Army officers who are away on frontier duty, woke up on Monday to the rude reality of their vulnerable existence at the separated family defence quarters of the General Thimmaiah Enclave on Airport Road. Culprits had broke into Major Tiwari’s house (125/5) in the second floor of the enclave, late on Sunday night and decamped with lakhs of rupees worth jewellry, valuables and cash.

The culprits had broke open the main door before ransacking the residence. While Major Tiwari was away on duty guarding the borders, his wife Nidhi and their two children were away when the burglary took place. Police pressed into service sniffer dogs. The dogs lost trail after they led the police in to the Gowthamapura slums, adjoining the enclave.

Two guards man the maingate of the enclave, whose rear portion is lined with an eucalpytus grove and a garbage dump which lead to the Gowthampura slum. Police are of the opinion that the burglary at Major Tiwari’s house was the handiwork of some known person.

Sarees and cosmetics lay about all over the place, pointing to the fact that the culprits had tried using them. Liquor bottles, however, remained untouched. Police blamed the apathy of the defence authorities, for turning a deaf ear to their pleas to raise the height of the compound wall behind the enclave.

“I don't understand why proper security is not being provided when officers' wives live alone. But we can't overstep into their jurisdiction. We have taken up a case ," the officer added.