Jail warden held in Dharmapuri finance firm heist

In the first week of May, a group of robbers reportedly broke into the firm in Dharmapuri district and looted the cash stored in the locker. The financial firm is into giving loans for women self-help groups.

According to sources, workers at the firm, who arrived for duty on May 6, found the doors broke open and cash missing from the locker. On receiving information, the Bommidi police registered a case and suspected the role of the firm’s staff in the incident.

The staff, who had left after work the previous day, were found to have intentionally left the main grill gate unlocked with a plan to loot the cash. Inquiries with around ten employees at the firm led to the police zeroing down the suspects.

Suspecting the role of Salem Central Prison Warden Perumal in the burglary, a special team of police picked the 28-year-old while he was coming out of prison in Salem three days ago.

This incident triggered a flutter as news spread that Perumal was kidnapped. The Dharmapuri police, however, then revealed that he was taken for an inquiry.

The police have also detained Senthil (30), a staff in the financial firm, and Ilavarasan, a car driver, in connection with the case. “They along with notorious thief Saravanan, who is now in Salem Central Prison in connection with a different case, had executed the burglary. We also suspect the role of the prison warden,” the police said.

The police have so far recovered Rs 10 lakh from the suspects and plans are on to take Saravanan in custody to inquire about the incident. Further investigations are on.