THOOTHUKUDI: Two sisters were arrested on Wednesday for allegedly robbing one of their in-laws of 52 sovereigns of gold jewellery at Muthiahpuram in Thoothukudi. The police said the women hatched the plan after one of them incurred losses in online gaming and gambling, and have recovered all the jewellery.
The Muthiahpuram police identified the accused persons as Ashwini (35) and Suseela (38), both of whom are sisters. Ashwini is married to Thangadurai, son of Arputharaj alias Kutti (65), who lives in Chennai.
Recently, he left Ashwini to live with her in-laws in Annai Teresa Nagar. Arputharaj runs a fancy store at SPIC Nagar Bazar. On October 3, he lodged a complaint at the Muthaiapuram police station. In his complaint, he said that a veiled woman held his wife, Selvarani (60), and daughter-in-law Ashwini at knifepoint, and decamped with 52 sovereigns of gold the same day.
A case was registered and the police initiated an inquiry. During the course of the investigation, Ashwini came under the police radar. Eventually, she spilled the beans. Ashwini and Suseela, wife of police personnel Gothandaraman of Kundrathur in Kancheepuram, had hatched the plan after Ashwini lost several lakhs to online games and gambling, said police.
On October 3, Suseela barged into Arputharaj's house and stole the gold with Ashwini's help. The police seized 23 sovereigns of gold from Ashwini, but Suseela went absconding. On Wednesday, Gothandaraman produced his wife Suseela before the Muthiahpuram police. Suseela was arrested, and the police recovered 29 sovereigns from her.