COIMBATORE: A 33-year-old Chennai native was arrested by the Kuniyamuthur police in Coimbatore city for theft, and Rs 26.50 lakh in cash and 43 sovereigns of gold ornaments were recovered from him. He was remanded to prison on Friday.
The arrested person was identified as S Suresh, a native of Villivakkam in Chennai, residing at Balaji Nagar near Meenjur in Thiruvallur district.
Suresh was working as a fabricator and plumber at a women’s hostel at Venkidu Street in Egmore, owned by N Selladurai (67) and his son S Vivekananthan (37). Vivekananthan also runs a hostel at Sreenivasa Street at Egmore. They often visited Government Officers Colony at Kuniyamuthur in Coimbatore city to meet Vivekananthan's grandparents.
Selladurai and Vivekananthan had kept Rs 42 lakh in cash, along with 43 sovereigns of gold jewels in a steel almirah at their Kuniyamuthur house. They recently started constructing a shed at their residence, and the work was done by Suresh.
Suresh visited the house at Kuniyamuthur along with his family on May 14 and stayed for two days. He again visited on May 2 to construct the shed.
In May, Selladurai found Rs 5 lakh cash missing from the house and complained to the Kuniyamuthur police. Again in June, Vivekananthan reported to the police that Rs 21.50 lakh cash and 43 sovereigns of gold jewels were missing.
The Kuniyamuthur police registered two separate cases on June 3, and initiated a probe against Suresh. On Thursday, the investigation wing attached to the Kuniyamuthur police station arrested Suresh in Chennai and recovered the cash and valuables from his possession.