MADURAI: She had a good run until she stole the ATM card of a police officer and bought gold jewellery using it. And, now R Seetha Lakshmi is cooling her heels behind bars with at least four cases, related to cheating bank customers against her.
Last Friday, when the police officer’s father N Marimuthu of Tagore Nagar Main Road of Sellur went to an ATM kiosk, Seetha Lakshmi approached him and offered help to withdraw money. After ‘trying’ to withdraw money using it, the woman returned another card to the septuagenarian, saying the account did not have enough balance.
Sources said that from the ATM kiosk, Seethalakshmi went straight to a jewellery shop and bought gold worth Rs 1,08,000. She paid Rs 1 lakh by swiping the card.
Upon receiving a message in his phone, the police officer alerted the jewellery shop in no time. The employees of the shop engaged her till the personnel from Thilagar Thidal police station arrived and arrested her.
Questioning the 40-year-old woman of EVR Nagar in Pudukottai district revealed that she had stolen Rs 2.01 lakh from four bank customers in the last six months. Police said that though she was involved in many a stealing incident, it was for the first time that she was being arrested. On June 30, Seethalakshmi had stolen Rs 46,000 from one M Vasuki (35) of Valachikulam in Chittampatti by replacing her card.