Alleging police excesses against a particular jewellery shop at Kumbakonam, the Kudanthai Nagai Viyabarigal Nala Sangam has demanded departmental action against policemen indulging in such practices and protection for jewellers.
In a memorandum addressed to the Inspector-General of Police, Tiruchi Region, the association pointed out that on June 7 night a team of policemen came to a jewellery shop on Sarangapani East Street, Kumbakonam, and took the shop owner’s son and an employee forcibly in their vehicle.
On hearing the news, the shop owner, who was away from the town, sought the help of the association members.
Subsequently, when the association members went to the local police station to figure out the reason behind the police action, they were informed that the local police had not carried out any such action.
By midnight, the association members were informed that the police team that had visited the shop was from Melmaruvathur and taken the two into their custody in connection with a jewellery theft case investigated by them.
The shop owner and a team of members of the association rushed to Melmaruvathur only to be informed that the two taken into custody by the police team were yet to be brought to the police station. The two arrested persons were brought to the police station on June 9.
After hectic parleys between the police and the shop owner, the two were released on exchange of certain grams of gold jewellery, the memorandum added.
Stating that this was the third case of police teams visiting the particular jewellery shop and taking into custody the members of the shop owner’s family or employees in connection with some gold jewellery theft cases and later releasing them in exchange of certain grams of gold jewellery or money, the association said the same outlet was subjected to similar actions by the Tiruchi and Villupuram police in August and in December, respectively, last year.
The memorandum was forwarded to the Tiruchi IG through the Thanjavur district police office.
Published – June 13, 2025 06:12 pm IST