Manhunt on for jewellery thieves

Alerts sounded in Tiruvarur, Nagapattinam districts

TIRUVARUR, TAMIL NADU, 04/10/2019:- Gold jewellery seized from manikandan displayed at Thiruvarur police station on Friday.

Having detained the key suspect, Manikandan, in the Lalithaa Jewellery heist in Tiruvarur on Thursday night, the police have launched a manhunt in the delta region to nab his accomplice Suresh who escaped when intercepted by a police team.

Multiple teams were on the look out for Suresh and his relative Murugan — suspected to be the mastermind in the heist — in Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts, where alerts have been sounded.

Suresh, who was proceeding with Manikandan on a two-wheeler, managed to escape after throwing a bag containing jewellery, when chased by a police team for not stopping during a vehicle check at Vilamal in Tiruvarur.

A Sub-Inspector who chased Manikandan and Suresh on his two-wheeler for nearly a kilometre, managed to intercept them. While the team caught hold of Manikandan, Suresh managed to escape. By verifying the bar codes on them, it was later established that the jewellery were the ones stolen from the showroom. Nearly 4.8 kg of stolen diamonds and gold was found inside the bag, and is believed to be the share (in the booty) of the duo.

Checks intensified

The Tiruvarur police subsequently handed over Manikandan to a special team of the Tiruchi city police, that is probing the heist. The Deputy Commissioner of Police (crime and traffic), Tiruchi city, is heading the team, that is quizzing Manikandan, said police sources.

A senior police officer said since Suresh and Murugan , who is suspected to be the mastermind in the burglary, hail from Tiruvarur, a manhunt has been launched in the district and in neighbouring Nagapattinam. Vehicle checks were intensified on Wednesday, following information that the gang suspected to be involved in the heist could be moving in the region. Murugan is said to be a habitual offender in burglary cases, although he has not committed any such crime in the Central Zone, said the officer. He has allegedly to have indulged in offences in Bengaluru, and the local police are trying to obtain details from their counterparts in Karnataka.

Sources said it was during such visits to Bengaluru, that Suresh got in touch with a woman there of that city and married her. Manikandan, being a friend of Suresh, was part of the gang that the police suspect had indulged in the jewellery heist.

Commissioner of Police, Tiruchi, A. Amalraj on Friday said special teams were questioning Manikandan and a few others in connection with the case. . The remaining suspects would be tracked down soon, he added.