TIRUCHY: Murugan, a notorious criminal and alleged mastermind behind burglaries at Lalithaa Jewellery and Punjab National Bank in Tiruchy, died in a Bengaluru hospital early on Tuesday while in custody. According to police sources, he had 92 criminal cases against him in four southern states.
Having become paralysed due to various health issues, the 46-year-old from Tiruvarur was admitted to a hospital in Bengaluru for treatment on October 12. Despite treatment, he succumbed.
On October 2, 2019, a gang broke into the Lalithaa Jewellery store and decamped with gold, diamond and platinum ornaments worth Rs 13 crore. Later during the investigation, it was revealed that Murugan, a history-sheeter, was the alleged brain behind the burglary. After one of his accomplices Manikandan was caught in Tiruvarur during a vehicle inspection on October 3, knowing that the police was on his tail, Murugan surrendered in a Bengaluru court on October 11.
Being in the wanted list for several other cases, Bengaluru police immediately took him into custody for investigation on the same day of his surrender. Based on his statement, police recovered about 12 kg of gold and diamond ornaments hidden in the Cauvery river bank near Vengur in Tiruchy district. Later, it was found to be the jewels stolen from Lalithaa Jewellery.
Police sources said as the valuables were recovered by the Bengaluru police, they had to be produced in a Bengaluru court and later were brought back to Tiruchy.
Similarly, on October 14, 2019, Tiruchy district police arrested a welder named Radha Krishnan in connection with the burglary at Punjab National Bank at Pitchandarkovil in Tiruchy. Following his statement, it was revealed that Murugan and his accomplice Ganesan were the alleged masterminds in the looting of valuables from five private lockers in Punjab National Bank on 28 January 2019. Later, investigations revealed that Murugan was involved in multiple burglary and theft cases in the four southern states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh.
Speaking to The New Indian Express, P Hari Bhaskar, Murugan's advocate, said, "Murugan was booked under a total of 92 cases including 40 in Tamil Nadu, 32 in Karnataka, two in Kerala and 16 in Andhra Pradesh. Adding other petty cases, the total number is close to 100. For the past few months, the health of Murugan had been deteriorating, so we approached the court for granting bail as he got paralysed. In Tamil Nadu, out of the 38 cases, Murugan was granted bail in about 22 including the Lalithaa Jewellery and PNB cases in May this year."
He further added that Murugan was having severe health issues and was admitted to the prison hospital in Bengaluru and later to a private hospital for treatment from mid-October.
Murugan's health condition got worse on Monday and he died in the middle of the night. Sources said that after all the formalities are completed, the body would be brought to his village in Tiruvarur district by Wednesday for the last rites.