A shocking case of brutal murder has emerged from Coimbatore, where a 39-year-old woman was beaten to death after she allegedly pledged counterfeit gold jewellery at a local pawn shop. The incident, which occurred on Wednesday near Saravanampatti, has led to the surrender of the pawn shop owner and a manhunt for his accomplices.
Pawnbroker Surrenders After Fatal Assault
The man who surrendered has been identified as M Rajaram, 53, a resident of GPM Nagar near Rathinapuri. In the early hours of Thursday, Rajaram presented himself before Chinnavedampatti Village Administration Officer (VAO) G Pandi. The VAO subsequently took him to the Saravanampatti police station, where a formal case was registered against him.
Investigations revealed that Rajaram operates both a pawn shop and a sweet shop in the Chinnamettupalayam area near Thudiyalur. The victim, P Sudha, 39, originally hailed from Uthangarai in Krishnagiri district.
Sequence of Fake Gold Pledges
The tragic series of events began on December 8, when Sudha visited Rajaram's pawn shop and pledged a gold ring, receiving Rs 30,000 in return. She returned the very next day with another ring, obtaining Rs 32,000. Later, on December 12, she pledged bangles and was given Rs 75,000.
Growing suspicious, Rajaram sent the pledged jewellery to a trusted appraiser for verification. The tests confirmed his fears: all the ornaments provided by Sudha were fake. To make matters worse, when Rajaram attempted to locate her using the address she had provided during the transactions, he discovered that the address was also fabricated.
Confrontation Turns Deadly
Rajaram then enlisted the help of his associate, Mahendran, to track down the woman. On December 17, Sudha returned to the shop with two more gold rings, seeking an additional Rs 90,000. Seizing the opportunity, Rajaram called Mahendran to the shop.
Together, they confronted Sudha about the fake jewels and demanded she return the money she had taken. When she refused, Rajaram assaulted her. The situation escalated rapidly as they took her to a secluded spot near Rajaram's sweet shop, where a friend of Mahendran joined them and attacked the woman with a PVC pipe.
The violence did not stop there. The assailants then transported Sudha to a mechanic's shed located on Athipalayam Road near Saravanampatti. There, three men subjected her to a sustained and brutal beating using a PVC pipe and a wooden log. The assault was so severe that she lost consciousness. The attackers left her in the shed, only to return around 8 PM to find that she had died from her injuries.
While Mahendran and the other man fled the scene, Rajaram chose to surrender before the VAO. Based on his statement and the VAO's complaint, police have registered a case and have launched an intensive investigation to apprehend the absconding individuals.
The Saravanampatti police are continuing their probe into this horrific crime, which underscores the deadly consequences of what began as a fraudulent financial transaction.
