The police have arrested the founder of a caste outfit for allegedly threatening the owner of a jewellery showroom and demanding ₹1 crore.
According to the police, Esakkiraja, founder-president of the ‘Pasumpon Makkal Desam Katchi’ from Third Mile here, visited a jewellery showroom on Gin Factory Road on September 11 and complained that a gold ornament purchased from the showroom three years ago was of ‘inferior quality’. He claimed that this had come to light when he recently pledged the ornament with a private firm to raise a loan.
As he offered to return the ornament after releasing it from the private firm, showroom manager Saravanakumar agreed and offered to refund the money.
When Esakkiraja brought the ornament to the showroom, Mr. Saravanakumar checked it and found its quality to be satisfactory, the police said. However, he transferred ₹4.22 lakh to Esakkiraja’s bank account. Esakkiraja allegedly refused to hand over the ornament and took it away after threatening Mr. Saravanakumar and others.
Mr. Saravanakumar subsequently lodged a complaint with the Thoothukudi South police. He also submitted another petition to Superintendent of Police R. Shiva Prasad, along with office-bearers of the Tamil Nadu Vanigar Sangangalin Peramaippu.
Esakkiraja also petitioned the SP, seeking surprise inspections of jewellery showrooms to check the quality of gold ornaments.
Meanwhile, jewellery showroom owner Maharajan lodged a complaint with the SP and the Thoothukudi South police, alleging that Esakkiraja had threatened him and demanded ₹1 crore. Acting on the complaint, the police arrested Esakkiraja on Tuesday.
When he was brought to the Thoothukudi South police station for inquiry, his supporters gathered outside and raised slogans against the police. They also staged a road roko on the busy Palayamkottai Highway, causing a traffic disruption for some time.
The supporters also surrounded the police vehicle carrying Esakkiraja to the Thoothukudi Government Medical College Hospital for a mandatory medical examination and later to the court.
After being produced before the court, Esakkiraja was remanded in judicial custody and lodged in Madurai Central Prison.
Published – September 22, 2026 08:50 pm IST
