Coimbatore, November 11: Three staff members of a jewellery shop in Pollachi, Tamil Nadu, were arrested by the Coimbatore rural police's district crime branch (DCB) for an elaborate gold theft scheme of over Rs 7 crore. The accused, identified as K Vignesh, 35, T Deva alias Alagarasan, 27, and V Sundarraj, 57, exploited their positions as manager, software engineer, and cashier, respectively, to steal 13 kg of gold ornaments for one year from Lakshmi Jewellery on Bazaar Street in Pollachi.

According to the Times of India report, the elaborate heist involved the thieves removing secret barcodes from the stolen jewellery, making their activities more complicated to trace. The stolen gold was allegedly sold to various individuals in Pollachi and surrounding areas. The infamous trio accumulated significant wealth, purchasing properties worth 4 crore in Pollachi and even opening a garment shop with ill-gotten gains. Tamil Nadu: Chennai Police To Install 200 More ANPR Cameras To Curb Traffic Violations.

The crime came to light when the business partners, K Prabhu and his son P Sibi Chakkaravarthi, owners of Lakshmi Jewellery, discovered discrepancies during an audit on September 5, 2023. The thieves had stolen 13kg of gold between April 1, 2022, and September 5, 2023. The police were alerted after Vignesh confessed to stealing 750g of gold when confronted about the missing inventory. Court on Theft in Trains: Supreme Court Says Railways Not Liable for Theft of Passenger's Belongings, Sets Aside Consumer Forum's Order To Reimburse Stolen Amount of Cash to Commuter.

The DCB police registered a case against the trio under various sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Information Technology Act. The accused were arrested on Friday, November 10, uncovering their extensive acquisitions, including land in Nadupuni near Pollachi, property in Panickampatti, and Jothi Nagar. Deva had also ventured into business, opening a garment shop in Kolathur, Salem district, and acquiring a new car. Investigations are ongoing to trace additional assets acquired through the stolen funds.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Nov 11, 2023 05:57 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).