Coimbatore cops to verify British, Sri Lankan passports of women thieves

COIMBATORE: The city police have approached the Foreigner Regional Registration Office (FRRO) after finding that three women who were arrested recently for stealing gold chains were carrying British and Sri Lankan passports.
The Big Bazaaar Street (crime) police had arrested Indhumathi, 27, wife of Pandiarajan from Thrissur in Kerala, Selvi, 36, wife of Chinna Thambi of Thiruvanmiyur in Chennai and Parasakthi, 36, wife of Ranjithkumar of Bharathi Nagar at Thiruvanmiyur in Chennai for stealing 6.5 sovereigns of gold from devotees during the Koniamman temple car festival.The Ukkadam police later arrested K Jothi,34, of Arasankadu on Mangalam Road and her husband R Karthik, 34, on the same charges and recovered nine sovereigns of gold ornaments from them.
“Indhumathi had reached Tamil Nadu from London. She is a frequent flyer. Selvi often flies to Colombo,” a police officer said. “Indhumathi told us that her husband is working in the UK. Selvi said she is a Sri Lankan citizen and her husband is working in Colombo. Jothi and Karthik also claimed to be Lankan citizens and had Sri Lankan passports.”
Police have seized their passports. “We have approached FRRO to verify their claims,” said deputy commissioner of police E S Uma.
The four women and Karthik are members of a gang led by Madan Kumar of Chennai, a police officer said. “A team is in pursuit of Kumar. The women confessed that they had snatched gold chains from devotees during the Karamadai Aranganatha Swamy temple car festival also. All of them have Aadhaar cards. We don’t know how they managed to get the cards.”