The district munsif-cum-judicial magistrate court, Srirangam, on Friday granted seven days police custody of C. Ganesan, an accused in the Lalithaa Jewellery heist, to the Tiruchi Rural Police to interrogate him in connection with the Punjab National Bank burglary case.
Ganesan was arrested a few days ago by the Tiruchi city police for his alleged involvement in the heist and lodged in the Tiruchi Central Prison.
The Tiruchi rural police filed a petition in the District munsif-cum-judicial magistrate court at Srirangam seeking seven days custody of Ganesan to interrogate him in the burglary at the Punjab National Bank’s Bikshandarkoil branch on the city’s outskirts reported in late January. Ganesan was brought from the Tiruchi Central Prison amid tight police escort and produced before the magistrate. The court granted seven days custody of Ganesan up to October 24 for the special teams of the Tiruchi rural police to quiz him in connection with the bank burglary case. He was subsequently taken to the Manachanallur Government Hospital for a medical check up, prior to the questioning.
Police sources said Ganesan was cited as accused No. 3 in the bank burglary case. The Tiruchi rural police which had recently arrested Radhakrishnan, a welder, has named him as accused No. 4 in the bank burglary case.
Link to Lalithaa heist
Murugan, the alleged mastermind in the Lalithaa Jewellery heist, is said to be the brain behind the bank burglary as well. His close relative Suresh is allegedly involved in the bank burglary. Sources said the Tiruchi rural police would soon be filing a petition in the judicial magistrate court at Srirangam seeking custody of Suresh.
Suresh is under the custody of the Tiruchi city police and being interrogated for his role in the heist. Special teams of the Tiruchi City Police had earlier seized 6.1 kg of valuables looted from Lalithaa Jewellery showroom from Ganesan, a native of Madurai district.
