LUCKNOW, Nov. 27 -- Out of the at least 20 cases of house theft that the city has reported between November 1 and 25, the burglars took advantage of surveillance gaps and the absence of occupants to target locked houses in several instances. FIRs and police probes indicated that over a dozen major thefts took place in the said period. On November 8 and 18, four such cases were reported on each day. A trend emerging from November's crime log is the burglars' preference for locked premises, often chosen after short reconnaissance. Whether it was houses in Manaknagar, Gudamba, Mohanlalganj, or the cluster of incidents cracked by PGI police, most victims were away when the crimes took place. On November 25, four men arrived in a car in Manaknagar's Ramprasad Kheda, broke into a house and fled with jewellery and cash while the homeowner was admitted to Avanti Bai Women's Hospital. In Gudamba, thieves targeted the vacant house of one Mohd. Rais and stole solar equipment worth lakhs of rupees. Senior officers confirmed that November has shown a clear shift toward targeting locked houses, with gangs moving in swiftly when occupants are out for extended hours. "Police teams have been asked to increase night patrolling and keep closer watch on tenants, seasonal workers and new entrants in localities, and groups often linked with reconnaissance work," said DCP Crime Kamlesh Dixit. Meanwhile, a house in Dhanpal Kheda area under PGI police station limits was burgled late Tuesday night, with thieves making off with cash worth Rs 2.5 lakh, jewellery and idols of deities. "The incident came to light on Wednesday morning when the family found their mobile phones missing. One of the suspects was spotted on a closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera footage," said police. The complainant and house owner, Shushank Dwivedi, works in a private firm. The burglars entered the house after he and his family went to sleep....