In a startling incident in Erode district, an elderly woman was robbed in broad daylight by a man and woman posing as customers. The victim, 69-year-old Arukani, had been helping her daughter Dhanalakshmi run a furniture store in Anna Nagar, located on Ingur Road, Chennimalai. Originally from Singanallur, Coimbatore, Arukani had been staying with her daughter to support her business operations.
On the morning of 28 April 2025, as part of her daily routine, Arukani arrived at the shop. A young man and woman rode up on a scooter. While the woman stayed seated outside, the man entered the shop and pretended to inquire about a bureau. Trusting him, Arukani showed him some furniture and began discussing prices. Seizing the opportunity, the man suddenly snatched the 3-sovereign gold chain from her neck and sprinted out of the store. The pair quickly fled on the waiting scooter.
Shocked, Arukani called out for help, alerting nearby residents, but the thieves had already vanished. She filed a complaint at the Chennimalai police station, prompting an immediate investigation. Police reviewed CCTV footage from the area and soon identified the female suspect.
She was recognized as 30-year-old Tamilselvi from Tyagi Kumaran Nagar near Chennimalai. To the police’s surprise, she was revealed to be the Women’s Wing Secretary of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) for Erode South District.
பீரோ வாங்குவது போல நடித்து பெண்ணிடம் நகை பறித்த விசிக பெண் நிர்வாகி கைது#erode | #vck | #theft | pic.twitter.com/ZbH5X4ewAZ
— Polimer News (@polimernews) May 1, 2025
Acting on a tip-off, police located Tamilselvi and her male accomplice at Erode Bus Stand the following morning. Both were taken into custody and interrogated at Chennimalai police station.
During questioning, it was revealed that Tamilselvi was in a relationship with 25-year-old Ramesh, a construction worker from Pudukkothukadu near Ariyappalayam, Sathyamangalam. The couple had allegedly planned and executed the theft together after observing that Arukani was alone in the store.
Further investigation uncovered that Tamilselvi and Ramesh had previously stolen a similar gold chain from another neighbor. They had mortgaged the stolen jewellery at a private finance company in Erode for ₹1.45 lakh, which was then deposited into Tamilselvi’s bank account.
Both suspects have been arrested and are expected to be produced in court and remanded to judicial custody.
(With inputs from One India Tamil)
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