Lalithaa Jewellery heist: Co-plotter arrested, mastermind still at large

Police is on the hunt for the mastermind. Two accused were arrested earlier for the October 2 heist of Gold, Diamond and Platinum jewels carried out by two men wearing cat and dog masks at Trichy’s Lalithaa Jewellery store.

Tamil Nadu police arrested the third accused, Murali, nephew of S Murugan, the alleged mastermind of the 13 crore Trichy Lalithaa Jewellery heist case on Sunday but Murugan continues to be at large.

34-year-old E Manikandan and 57-year-old woman, P Kanagavalli, were arrested earlier for the October 2 heist of Gold, Diamond and Platinum jewels carried out by two men wearing cat and dog masks at Trichy’s Lalithaa Jewellery store.

Kanagavalli is the mother of another accused P Suresh, who is alleged to have plotted the heist with others but escaped during a routine vehicle check at Thiruvarur town on Thursday where Manikandan was nabbed.

“We have recovered 4.5 kg of jewels from Manikandan and 450 grams of jewels from Kanagavalli. Trichy Judicial Magistrate court-1 remanded the accused to 14 days in custody on Saturday,” Trichy city police said in a media statement.

Nine special teams are looking for the alleged mastermind, 45-year-old S Murugan, a notorious history-sheeter from Thiruvarur.

“Our special teams have detained 14 other people known to Murugan,” said an inquiry officer.

Police said they unearthed another plot to rob a bank by a group from Jharkhand while conducting searches in the heist case. Six people from the state were arrested during checking of lodges in neighbouring Pudukottai town a couple of days ago.

“The Jharkhand men have no connection in the Lalitha Jewellery heist. However, they planned to rob a bank in Kangeyam in Thiruppur. Backpacks, chilly-powder, drilling machine, and sickles were found from their possession. They admitted to planning to loot a bank in Kangeyam,” Trichy City Police said in a press note.