Woman held for stealing gold, money

COIMBATORE: A 21-year-old BCom graduate was arrested on Tuesday for stealing gold ornaments and cash from the house of a mess owner at Eachanari near the city.

The arrested was identified as Sowmiya, of Karur. According to police, she had on September 14 approached Mythili, owner of a ladies’ hostel at

Ayyappa Nagar

in Eachanari, seeking a job. Sowmiya told her that she was separated from her husband. Mythili, whose husband Prakash, 59, runs a mess in the same locality, felt sympathy for Sowmiya and gave her accommodation.

“Sowmiya later befriended the couple’s daughter. On Friday morning, Prakash left for his mess and Mythili and her daughter left for Maruthamalai, leaving their house open. When they returned, they found that a bureau inside the house was broken open and gold ornaments weighing 22 sovereigns and Rs 3.5lakh cash were missing,” said a police officer.

As Sowmiya was also missing, they lodged a case with the Podanur police, who registered a case under Section 380 of the IPC and launched a manhunt for her. Police traced her to Puducherry and nabbed her on Tuesday. Police said Sowmiya was married to Sakthi, 25, for more than three years and she had taken to stealing as he didn’t have a permanent job.