The Hindu : Front Page : Jewellery shop staff robbed of Rs.40 lakh

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Wednesday, Jul 16, 2008
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Jewellery shop staff robbed of Rs.40 lakh

Special Correspondent

Motorcycle-borne suspects intercept autorickshaw, force employees into van
They bundle them out after snatching Rs.40 lakh kept in three packets

CHENNAI: Three jewellery shop employees of Madurai, who had come here to purchase gold, were attacked and relieved of Rs.40 lakh by armed robbers, who abducted them in a van near the Koyambedu bus stand on Monday night.

The police said Balasubramaniam (55), Siva Murugesan (48) and Ilango (45) were going to the bus stand in an autorickshaw when four motorcycle-borne suspects intercepted them at Aminjikarai. They forced them into the waiting van at knife-point. Six others in the van, suspected to be masked, pinned down the victims and attacked them. The van was driven towards Madhavaram where the gangsters bundled out the employees after snatching Rs.40 lakh kept in three packets. While Mr. Murugesan suffered serious injuries, Mr. Balasubramanian and Mr. Ilango escaped with minor injuries. They managed to reach Stanley Medical College and Hospital around 3 a.m. and got themselves admitted there.

The autorickshaw driver, Rashid, informed the Koyambedu police that unidentified persons had abducted passengers from his vehicle. “It appears that the gang might have followed them from Madurai, or there could have been leak of specific information. The jewellery shop owner instructed his staff not to purchase gold owing to price fluctuation. The suspects spoke Tamil in Madurai slang,” a police officer said.

The registration particulars of the vehicle used to commit the offence have been obtained. The police are following some clues and a breakthrough is likely soon, the officer said.

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