Cops arrest 3rd accused in ~13-cr TN jewellery heist

CHENNAI: Police on Sunday arrested a third accused named Murali in the Trichy Lalitha Jewellery heist case where a gang had looted goods worth ~13 crore. The police said the man is the nephew of S Murugan, the alleged mastermind behind the loot, who is still at large.

A day after a duo wearing cat and dog masks looted gold, diamond and platinum jewels worth ~13 crore from Trichy Lalitha Jewellery on October 2, Thiruvarur police had arrested an accused named E Manikandan (34) during a routine vehicle check at Thiruvarur town on Thursday.

Subsequently, a special team of police arrested P Kanagavalli (57) on Saturday in connection. Kanagavalli is the mother of another accused P Suresh, who had escaped when Manikandan was arrested during the vehicle check and is said to have also been involved in plotting the heist. “We have recovered 4.5kg of jewels from Manikandan and 450 grams of jewels from Kanagavalli,” Trichy city police said in a media statement.

Cases have been filed under relevant IPC sections against Manikandan, Kanagavalli and unknown persons.

The police are also on a man hunt to arrest S Murugan (45), a notorious history-sheeter from Thiruvarur. “During the inquiry, we found that Murugan’s nephew Murali too had played a role in the loot,” the police said.

While police were checking lodges in neighbouring Pudukottai, they had detained a six-member gang from Jharkhand on grounds of suspicion. “The Jharkhand men have no connection with the heist. However, they had a plan to rob a bank in Kangeyam in Thiruppur...”, Trichy police said.