COIMBATORE: A Coimbatore-based real estate businessman has lodged a complaint with the police alleging that 900 sovereigns of gold jewellery entrusted to his son-in-law for safekeeping were stolen, and that he and his family were later threatened when they demanded the return of the ornaments.
The complainant, Shanmugapandian (67), a resident of Ganapathy Nagar, stated that his daughter, a doctor, married Dr Vignesh (36) of Periyanaickenpalayam in 2024.
Shanmugapandian alleged that he had helped his son-in-law secure a government job. However, Vignesh later resigned from the post and began living with the family at their residence in Kalapatti.
The complainant further stated that in July 2024, he handed over the key to the family's locker to Vignesh. At the time, the locker reportedly contained 1,000 sovereigns of gold jewellery.
Shanmugapandian alleged that after he sold another property for Rs 15 crore in December 2025, Vignesh demanded money to start a business and also insisted that a house be transferred to his name. Following disputes with his wife over these demands, Vignesh reportedly moved out of the house.
Suspicious about the jewellery, the family later broke open the locker and discovered that the ornaments were missing. When questioned, Vignesh's side allegedly returned only 100 sovereigns, while the remaining 900 sovereigns were not returned.
The complaint also alleged that Vignesh's mother, Vasuki (58), and his sister, Jeevitha (38), issued death threats when he demanded to return the remaining jewellery. Based on the complaint, the Coimbatore City Economic Offences Wing has registered a case against Vignesh, Vasuki and Jeevitha on charges of theft and cheating.