COIMBATORE: A BJP functionary was arrested by the Coimbatore district police on Saturday for helping robbers.The arrested BJP functionary has been identified as J Vivek, 36, of Rs Puram in the city. He is a state-level executive committee member of BJP Scheduled Caste Morcha. Police arrested him based on the confession of M Sarvesh, 21, of Theni district, who was arrested on Friday on charges of robbing an engineering student of his god chain.The complainant in the case is M Abinesh, 21, of Pollachi, who studies in an engineering college in Coimbatore district. According to police, Sarvesh is known to Abinesh. On Feb 3, Abinesh’s friend Vignesh called him over the phone and informed him that he wanted to meet him. Following this, Abinesh went to the Salem – Kochi National Highway where Sarvesh, Vignesh and two others pulled him into a car and took him to an isolated place near KG Chavadi. They threatened him and snatched his two sovereigns of gold chain at knifepoint before abandoning him near KG Chavadi.Abinesh lodged a complaint with the KG Chavadi police on the same day. Police registered a case and began investigations. Police traced Sarvesh to Theni and arrested him on Friday. During interrogations, Sarvesh stated that Vivek had given them his car and helped in the crime. He stated that he had given the chain to Vivek to sell.Police arrested Vivek on Saturday. They recovered the gold chain and seized the car used for the crime. Both were remanded in judicial custody. Police have launched a manhunt for the others involved in the crime.
