Three autorickshaw drivers were booked by the Race Course police on charges of extorting money from a Pudukkottai native. Nowfal Basha, 29, of Rajaveethi at Thennampalayam Road near Annur, R. Senthilkumar, 33, of Selvapuram and their accomplice Raghu were booked based on a complaint from M. Dhanapal, 34, of Pudukkottai district. The accused extorted ₹4,700 from the complainant, after taking him to an isolated place in the city in an autorickshaw on June 14. The police had arrested Basha and Senthilkumar in a similar case before.

Office assistant at Coimbatore collectorate ends life

A 40-year-man, who was working as an office assistant at Coimbatore district collectorate, ended his life on Wednesday. The police said that the deceased, Karuppusamy, a resident of Tamil Nadu Housing Board apartment complex at Kavundampalayam in the city, took the extreme step late on Wednesday. The Kavundampalayam police have registered a case.

Assistance for overcoming suicidal thoughts is available on the State’s health helpline 104 and Sneha’s suicide prevention helpline 044-24640050.

136 kg of drugs seized so far this year in Coimbatore

The Coimbatore City Police have seized 136 kg of drugs in 118 cases so far this year, as per an awareness video released by them on Thursday on the occasion of the International Day against Drug Abuse and Illicit Trafficking. The police also seized 5,282 kg of banned tobacco products in 168 cases during the period. N. Dhanabalan, a sub-inspector attached to Podanur police station in the city, was selected for Chief Minister’s police medal for outstanding work in eradicating drug production and illicit trafficking. According to the police, he assisted in 55 cases, resulting in the arrest of 169 persons, seizure of 161 kg of ganja, 77 gram of methamphetamine and four tonnes of banned tobacco products.

Woman dies in accident

A 60-year-old woman died after she was run over by a TNSTC bus on Avinashi Road at Peelamedu in the city on Thursday. The police said that G. Vanajamani of Kalapatti died in the accident when she was riding pillion on her husband’s two-wheeler. The Traffic Investigation Wing, Coimbatore east, has registered a case.