TIRUCHY: An Naam Tamilar Katchi (NTK) functionary among a gang of nine persons was arrested for kidnapping the brother of a culprit who had reportedly stolen 100 sovereign jewels in Thanjavur on Friday.

Suresh Kumar (30), a mason from Karnakollai Street near Kumbakonam was approached by a gang who took him to a secluded place in a car and reportedly manhandled him and left him in the middle of the road.

Subsequently, Suresh Kumar filed a complaint with the Kumbakonam East police who registered a case and initiated an investigation. The police identified the gang as Murugan (51) from Kumbakonam, Dinesh (34) from Sakkottai, Salman (32) from Ranipet, Rayina Begam (52) from Nagapattinam, Abul Hassan (33) and Mansoor Ali (31) both from Nagapattinam, Manikavasagam (33) from Kumbakonam, Chithravelu (46) and Raja (51) also from Kumbakonam. Among the nine accused, Salman is serving as the Youth Wing Coordinator of NTK.

Further investigation found that Subash, brother of Suresh Kumar on February 21 had come from Dubai to Kochi with 112 sovereigns of gold belonging to Fasith working in Dubai. The gang confessed that they came in search of Subash since he had not given the jewel handed over by Fasith to his family. Since the gang could not find him, they instead kidnapped his brother Suresh Kumar, and manhandled him.