TNSTC depot burglary solved

The district police have cracked the burglary at the Tamil Nadu State Transport Corporation (TNSTC) depot at Paramakudi on January 16 by arresting three persons, including a conductor.

Four days after the burglary, a special team, acting under the supervision of Superintendent of Police N.M. Mylvahanan, arrested three people – the conductor, an ex-criminal and aschoolteacher – on Tuesday night and recovered Rs 8.25 lakh.

Paramakudi DSP V. Vinodh Santharam, who headed the special team, said the police cracked the case by securing Nagalingam (40), who had worked as cashier in the depot three months ago and was now a conductor in Parakamudi-Tiruchi route.

The team zeroed in on him after securing the list of cashiers who had served in the depot and mounting surveillance on them. Mobile phone tracking revealed that Nagalingam had received calls at odd hours on the particular day, but acted as if he had nothing to do with the offence. He was present when the DSP visited the depot.

Interrogation revealed that he had masterminded the crime and engaged his ‘friend’ Rajasekar (29) to commit the robbery. Having the knowledge of operating the locker with duel key system, he taught him to open it, the DSP said. Lifting of ‘small size’ footprint from the scene helped track the accused, he said.

The duo had planned to commit the burglary a month ago and chose the Pongal day, when Nagalingam said the collection would be more. As instructed by him, Rajasekar scaled the compound wall and gained entry into the office by breaking open the windowpanes. He had given the looted money to his houseowner, Baby Santhakumari (50), a government schoolteacher, after taking Rs 1 lakh for his expenses. The teacher had used a portion of the money to repay bank loans. She had let her house on an agreement that he should share the booty with her, whenever he committed a robbery or a dacoity, he said.

Mr Mylvahanan said the process of recovering the entire Rs 13.75 lakh looted from the locker was on. .