COIMBATORE: The Coimbatore police have arrested a local BJP functionary for allegedly defrauding a jewellery store owner of 141 grams of gold bullion under the pretext of making ornaments.
Lakshmi Narasimharaj (46), who operates a jewellery shop on Raja Street, had a long-standing business relationship with Manokaran (36). Manokaran, a resident of Palayathottam in Kempatti Colony, is a goldsmith and serves as the Ukkadam Zonal President of the BJP Youth Wing.
For the past nine months, Manokaran had been regularly receiving gold bars from Narasimharaj to craft into jewellery. On April 16, 2025, Narasimharaj handed over 141.180 grams of gold bullion to Manokaran to be converted into gold chains.
Despite the passage of several months, Manokaran failed to deliver the finished jewellery. When questioned, he repeatedly assured the jeweler that the ornaments would be ready within a few days. However, he eventually stopped responding and failed to return either the crafted jewelry or the original gold bullion.
Realising he had been defrauded, Narasimharaj filed an official complaint at the Bazaar Street police station. Based on the complaint, the police registered a case and launched an investigation. Following the investigation, the police arrested Manokaran on Thursday. He has since been produced before the court and remanded to judicial custody.