Con suspect swallows poison; dies

According to the Chamarajpet police, three youths came to Valmikinagar on Saturday afternoon, met a few homemakers and claimed they were into jewellery polishing.

Asin Banu (45) gave the youth some silver items to be polished. The trio poured some powder on the silver ornaments, washed it in water and returned it. They then asked for her gold chain. They kept the chain for nearly half an hour, took it out from the water and gave it to her. Banu grew suspicious as the chain had lost weight. She went to a nearby shop and weighed the chain. The weight had reduced from seven gm to three gm.

Banu returned and picked a quarrel with them. Two of them managed to escape as soon as Banu’s brother Ayaz came. Ayaz decided to take the third to the police station and hired an autorickshaw.

On the way, the youth asked for his bag. He took out a small box containing a powder that police suspect to be cynide, consumed it and collapsed.