Two arrested for trying to rob Coimbatore jewellery manufacturing unit employee of ornaments worth Rs 1 crore

COIMBATORE: The Ukkadam police arrested two youths for a daring daylight robbery attempt on a jewellery shop employee who was carrying gold ornaments worth approximately Rs 1 crore near Coimbatore Junction railway station on Thursday.

The arrested have been identified as G Isakki Pandi, 24, and G Iyappan, 22, of Tirunelveli. According to police, a jewellery manufacturing unit operates in Selvapuram in the city, where Murugesan, 55, has been working for several years. The unit regularly takes orders from clients based in Chennai. Once the gold ornaments are crafted, staff members transport them to Chennai by train, deliver them to the respective shops and collect the payments.

Murugesan recently travelled to Chennai to deliver a batch of finished jewellery. After delivering a portion of the ornaments to various shops, he boarded a train from Chennai on Tuesday night to return to Coimbatore with the remaining jewellery.

After getting down at Coimbatore Junction railway station the following morning, Murugesan walked towards Goods Shed Road behind the station, carrying a backpack containing the gold. A car belonging to the jewellery shop owner was waiting there to pick him up. As Murugesan approached the vehicle, three unidentified men on a motorcycle intercepted him. The trio suddenly assaulted Murugesan and tried to wrench the backpack from his shoulders.

However, Murugesan managed to scramble into the waiting car. Sensing danger, the driver quickly sped away from the spot. Murugesan informed the jewellery shop owner about the incident, and a formal complaint was filed with the Ukkadam police on Thursday.

Police registered a case and launched an intensive investigation. They scanned CCTV footage from cameras installed around the crime scene and the railway station area, and identified the culprits. Two of them were arrested on Friday, and a hunt is under way to nab the third man.