In a shocking case of daylight robbery, Tamilselvi (30)—a political functionary serving as the Women’s Wing Secretary of the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi (VCK) for Erode South—was arrested along with her accomplice Ramesh (25) for robbing an elderly woman in Chennimalai on 28 April 2025.
The victim, Arukani (69) of Singanallur, Coimbatore, was helping her daughter Dhanalakshmi run a furniture store on Ingur Road in Anna Nagar. Around 10 AM, a couple arrived on a scooter. While the woman remained outside, the man entered the store, pretending to inquire about a bureau. As Arukani began to show him options, he suddenly snatched her 3-sovereign gold chain and fled on the scooter with his partner.
Following a police complaint at Chennimalai station, officers reviewed CCTV footage and identified Tamilselvi from Tyagi Kumaran Nagar near Chennimalai. She was later spotted at Erode Bus Stand with her partner, Ramesh, a construction worker from Pudukkothukadu, Sathyamangalam. The duo was taken into custody and interrogated.
During questioning, police discovered that the couple were in a relationship and had previously committed a similar chain-snatching theft from a neighbor. They had mortgaged the stolen jewellery for Rs1.45 lakh at a private finance firm in Erode, with the money deposited into Tamilselvi’s bank account.
Both suspects have been formally arrested and will be produced in court. Authorities confirmed they will be remanded to judicial custody, and further investigations are underway to trace other possible crimes linked to the duo.
