Poes Garden Looted a Jeweller Blind Owner Hanged Himself — How Jayalalithaa & Sasikala Destroyed Balu Jewellers and One Honest Man?
Remember Balu Jewellers? That glittering chennai landmark from the 1990s whose radio jingles still echo in the ears of every tamil who grew up listening to them? “Punnagai Mannanin Ponnagai Koodam – Balu Jewellers!” Written by the legendary vairamuthu himself. Yeah, that one. Today’s youngsters probably have no clue. But for those who lived through it, the name Balu Jewellers isn’t just a shop — it’s a heartbreaking reminder of raw power, shameless loot, and one man’s silent scream that ended with a rope around his neck.
The Setup – 1991 to 1996, jayalalithaa as CM
Jayalalithaa was ruling tamil Nadu with an iron fist, and her close aide Sasikala was by her side. Suddenly, her foster son Sudhakaran’s wedding was announced — the most extravagant spectacle chennai had ever seen. They needed mountains of gold. Where did they turn? Balu Jewellers is the most trusted name in town.
The Trap at the Poes Garden
They didn’t just place an order. They sweet-talked the owner, Balu, saying, “Give us the jewellery first, we’ll pay immediately.” Then they called the poor man straight to the Poes Garden. He arrived with his entire stock. They inspected everything, liked almost three-quarters of it, and simply kept it all. “Money is coming, don’t worry,” they said. Not one rupee was ever transferred.
The Slow Torture
Balu kept asking for his money. Polite reminders turned into desperate pleas. Instead of payment, he got threats from Sasikala’s goons. They treated him like a dog, made him run around like a beggar. Meanwhile, his own suppliers were screaming for their dues. His shop, once shining with dreams, stood empty and dark.
The Numbers That Will Shock You
Back then, it was around ₹40 crore worth of gold. Adjust for today’s gold prices and inflation? That same loot is easily worth ₹5,000 crore. Five thousand. Crore. All taken without paying a single paisa. One family’s wedding wiped out an entire honest business empire.
The Tragic End
Balu couldn’t data-face his creditors anymore. Couldn’t reopen his shop. Couldn’t sleep. One day, the man who brought smiles through gold took his own life by hanging. A self-made jeweller who rose step by step… destroyed overnight by the very people who were supposed to protect common citizens.
The Legacy They Can’t Erase
If Balu Jewellers existed today, it would have been tamil Nadu’s biggest, most trusted jewellery house. Instead, it became a ghost story. The poetic ads by Vairamuthu — “If there’s a fifth kind of gold beyond the four classics, call it Balu” — now feel like a cruel obituary.This wasn’t business. This wasn’t politics.
This was daylight robbery by the most powerful people in the state, protected by fear and silence. No one dared speak up for Balu. Not then. Not for years.So the next time someone screams “Amma vazhi nadappom!” or licks tyres in blind devotion, remind them of this blood-stained chapter.
The same hands that waved at crowds in the Poes Garden had no problem crushing an honest businessman to death.Tamil Nadu, wake up.
These sins don’t vanish with time. They stain generations.
If you truly love this soil, stop worshipping the ones who turned a smiling jeweller into a suicide statistic. Balu didn’t die of natural causes.
He was driven to the noose by greed dressed as power. And that stench still lingers in the air of tamil Nadu.