MADURAI – 15 Nov, 2026 A cargo vehicle driver from Theni, R. Balakrishnan, who was being questioned on Friday (November 13, 2026) at Chekkanoorani police station in connection with a case involving missing bags of cardamom last week, was found in an unconscious state in a restroom at the police station on Saturday (November 14) morning. He was taken to Government Rajaji Hospital, where he was declared dead on arrival.
The police said the driver had transported cardamom from Theni to Madurai, and that on the way, a few bags of the spices had been destroyed by a fire on November 3.
The manager of the agent who had sent the cardamom suspected that some bags of the spice were missing. Based on a petition submitted by the manager, the police had asked Balakrishnan, of Devaram in Theni district, to appear at the station.
The police said that on Friday, Balakrishnan appeared before them and lodged a complaint about the accidental fire involving his truck near Valandur on November 3. The Valandur police registered a case regarding the accidental fire on the evening of November 13.