Jewellery traders in Kumbakonam downed shutters on Tuesday in protest against the police picking up the son of a jewellery shop owner for ‘interrogation’.
Two persons claiming to be policemen came to a jewellery shop on Sarangapani East Street around noon looking for its owner, Shanmuganathan, 55. But it was his son, Arunkumar, 20, who was looking after the business. The plain clothesmen took the youth with them overlooking his request as well as those of employees that they come back on a later date when Shanmuganathan would be available at the shop.
Subsequently, the employees informed the Jewellery Traders Association, who, in turn, alerted Kumbakonam East Police, who later ascertained the identity of the plain clothesmen as the crime investigation team attached to Kottaipattinam Police Station in Pudukottai district.
Around 150 jewellery shop owners in Kumbakonam downed shutters demanding immediate release of Arunkumar.
As the protest intensified, Kumbakonam East Police requested their counterparts to release Arunkumar and carry on the investigation after Shanmuganathan’s return.
Kottaipattinam police, who had reached Adhiramapattinam by that time, returned to Kumbakonam and set Arunkumar free.
On hearing the news, jewellery traders reopened their shops by around 6 p.m., sources said.
