Madurai City Police have arrested two people, including Instagram influencer Meenakshi, in connection with a multi-crore gold and diamond jewellery robbery at a Tanishq showroom on Madurai Bypass Road. The other arrested person was identified as Suresh. Deputy Commissioner of Police (South) A.G. Inigo Divyan confirmed the arrests. Police have not yet disclosed what roles the two are suspected to have played in the heist.
The theft came to light on November 12, when employees reached the showroom and found gold and diamond ornaments missing from the display counters. Preliminary investigations indicate that the culprits entered the showroom around 3 am that day after drilling a hole in its rear wall, an official at the SS Colony Police Station said. CCTV footage showed a masked person entering through the rear entrance and leaving with the jewellery.
It is still not clear whether one person carried out the crime or a gang was involved, the official said. The ornaments taken were kept on display and were not in the locker facilities. Police have collected fingerprints from the crime scene and are examining surveillance footage to establish how many people took part in the robbery.
Stolen quantity still being verified
The estimated quantity of stolen jewellery has changed since the burglary came to light. On November 12, a senior police official said around 4 kg of gold was missing. The following day, the figure was put at around 15 kg.
Madurai City Police Commissioner S. Rajendran inspected the crime scene on November 12 and said around 30 per cent of the jewellery in stock at the showroom had been stolen. “Investigation is on,” he said. When he was contacted later to confirm the quantity of jewellery stolen, he did not respond to calls or messages.
Possible leads under scrutiny
A. Arumugam, a travel operator who runs a shop near the Tanishq outlet, told the media that he had seen a middle-aged man leaving the showroom on a scooter around the time of the robbery. The man appeared to be around 35-40 years old, Arumugam said.
The showroom was inaugurated on November 8, coinciding with the Deepavali festival. Police are examining whether people involved in construction work behind the showroom or its employees could have any connection to the robbery. Investigators have collected details of the showroom employees and are also examining workers involved in constructing the facility.
