Two people have been arrested in connection with the sensational robbery at a newly-opened Tanishq showroom in Tamil Nadu's Madurai, with police recovering around 5 kg of jewellery so far. The prime accused, YouTuber Nishant, remains absconding, while his father Suresh and girlfriend Meenakshi have been taken into custody.

The arrests come days after a masked robber broke into the showroom on Madurai Bypass Road and escaped with gold and diamond jewellery worth Rs 15 crore of rupees in an overnight heist.

A tattoo on Nishant's body proved to be a crucial clue that helped police track down the accused, according to police sources. Four special teams were deployed to hunt for those involved in the heist, leading to the arrest of Suresh and Meenakshi.

Police sources said Suresh allegedly helped transport the stolen jewellery after the robbery, making him an accused in the case. Meenakshi, meanwhile, allegedly provided her two-wheeler to Nishant to facilitate the heist.

Both Suresh and Meenakshi have allegedly confessed to their involvement in the robbery during questioning. They cited financial difficulties as the reason behind their decision to carry out the heist, police sources said.

Meenakshi, who is also Nishant's girlfriend, has allegedly blamed him for masterminding the robbery. However, police are treating her claims with caution, saying they cannot be trusted until Nishant is apprehended and questioned. The prime accused continues to remain absconding.

HOW THE TANISHQ SHOWROOM HEIST UNFOLDED

The theft came to light when employees arrived at the showroom on Thursday morning and discovered that jewellery displayed for sale was missing.

The showroom, which had been inaugurated on October 14, was located on Madurai Bypass Road. A preliminary assessment suggested that around 30 per cent of the jewellery displayed in the outlet had been stolen.

Investigators found that the robber had used an opening near the lift shaft, where installation work was underway, to enter the premises. CCTV footage showed a man dressed entirely in black and wearing a full-face mask inside the showroom.

Police suspected that the accused used a rope installed for the ongoing lift work to access the building and reach the ground-floor showroom. An iron scaffolding structure erected at the rear of the building was also examined to determine whether it had been used to gain entry.

The three-storey showroom had several construction and maintenance activities underway, including lift installation, painting, electrical and plumbing work.

While jewellery was displayed for sale on the ground floor, the second floor was vacant and work was underway on the third floor to install lockers.

POLICE PROBE POSSIBLE INSIDER INVOLVEMENT

Before the arrests, police had formed special teams to track down those involved in the robbery. Investigators were examining CCTV footage from the showroom and neighbouring areas, along with vehicles that passed through the locality around 3 am, when the theft was suspected to have taken place.

The probe also focused on possible insider involvement. Police were verifying the identities and whereabouts of people who had recently entered the showroom, including former employees and workers engaged for construction, interior decoration and showcase installation.

"We are checking the list of people who entered the showroom recently. Everyone is a suspect and we are questioning everyone. We are also examining the details of past employees," a senior Madurai police officer told India Today.

Investigators were also checking whether more people had helped plan or execute the robbery, even though the available evidence initially pointed towards one person carrying it out.

Forensic experts examined the showroom, including the walls, iron framework, lift cables, jewellery boxes, staircases, water bottles, doors and door handles, to look for fingerprints and other evidence.

Police had also circulated CCTV footage of the suspect among personnel at major bus terminals and railway stations across Madurai. Given the showroom's proximity to the railway station, investigators were examining whether the accused could have attempted to escape by train towards Kerala or other northern states.

CUSTOMER'S WEDDING JEWELLERY ALSO GOES MISSING

The robbery left customers who had recently purchased jewellery from the showroom worried about their orders.

Pandi, who had visited the outlet to purchase ornaments for a friend's wedding, said he had paid for the jewellery but was asked to collect it the following day.

He said he had initially carried cash, but showroom staff informed him that cash payments were restricted to Rs 2 lakh and suggested that he use UPI or a card.

However, his bank had a daily transaction limit of Rs 1 lakh. After completing the payment, he was asked to return the next day to collect the ornaments.

Following the robbery, he was informed that the jewellery he had purchased was among the missing items.

Pandi said showroom representatives had assured him that they would try to recover his jewellery. They also promised to arrange the same ornaments from other branches if the stolen pieces could not be found.

EPS TARGETS TAMIL NADU GOVERNMENT OVER LAW AND ORDER

Meanwhile, AIADMK leader Edappadi K Palaniswami attacked Chief Minister C Joseph Vijay over the robbery, alleging that Tamil Nadu's law-and-order situation had deteriorated.

In a post on X, Palaniswami referred to the Tanishq showroom robbery and cited other alleged incidents of theft across the state to accuse the government of failing to protect people's lives and property.

Questioning the Chief Minister's claims on law and order, Palaniswami demanded immediate action against those involved in the robberies and urged the government to ensure public safety.

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