Woman DMK Functionary Allegedly Assaults Jewellery Shop Worker Over Usury Dispute In Dharmapuri

A woman functionary of the DMK allegedly assaulted a jewellery shop worker in the Karimangalam Bazaar area on 19 May 2024, following a heated argument over usury.

Prabhu, a long-time resident of Kaveripattinam in Krishnagiri district, has been running a jewellery shop in Karimangalam Bazaar for the past 25 years. Over the last decade, he had established financial dealings with Jaya, the district organiser of the DMK. Prabhu frequently borrowed sums ranging from ₹10 lakh to ₹50 lakh from Jaya, securing the loans with signed bank cheques and documents.

Last month, Prabhu reportedly repaid all his outstanding loans and subsequently requested the return of the cheques and documents he had given as collateral. Jaya assured him that she had kept them elsewhere and would return them within 20 days.

However, tensions escalated when Jaya, accompanied by her two sons, visited Prabhu’s shop on 19 May 2024. They demanded ₹5 crore from Prabhu, claiming that they still held the cheques and documents. During the confrontation, Jaya reportedly threatened Prabhu, stating that she could leverage her political influence to harm him if he did not comply. The argument turned violent, with Jaya allegedly abusing and striking Prabhu on the head with a mobile phone.

The staff of the jewellery shop intervened and managed to rescue the injured Prabhu, who was then admitted to Dharmapuri Government Medical College Hospital for treatment.

The incident has sparked outrage in the community, and the Karimangalam police have registered a case and initiated an investigation. The release of CCTV footage capturing the attack has added to the mounting evidence against the accused.

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