Coimbatore: Police have launched an investigation after the grave of a fish trader was found desecrated at the Sowripalayam graveyard, and his body exhumed to steal a three-sovereign gold chain.The incident came to light on Friday, when his family visited the grave for the 16th day rituals. Police said Nagaraj, 56, a fish trader, died after a brief illness on June 6. Relatives said he always wore a three-sovereign gold chain with a fish-shaped pendant, and the family chose to bury him with it.On June 19, when his family members visited the graveyard for the rituals, they noticed the grave looked freshly dug up and covered with sand. “Nagaraj’s son, Venkatesh and other relatives questioned Karthikeyan, who works and stays at the graveyard. Karthikeyan confessed that Manikandan, 46, and Sakthivel, 35, dug up the grave on the night of June 16, to steal the gold chain. He added that they melted it with the help of another person and pawned it,” said a police officer.On learning of the theft, Nagaraj’s relatives lured Manikandan out of his home at night, and took him to the Sowripalayam community hall, where they detained him overnight and assaulted him. “Sakthivel a relative of Nagaraj, who knew about him being buried with the gold chain, has been absconding since the theft,” the officer added.After he was let off in the early hours of Saturday, Manikandan lodged a complaint at the Peelamedu police station. Police registered a case against three people identified as Mani, Ranjith and Karthi, all relatives of the deceased.Meanwhile, Venkatesh also filed a police complaint against Manikandan, Sakthivel, and Karthikeyan for desecrating his father’s grave and stealing the gold chain from his body.Police have registered two separate cases and are investigating.
