College student arrested in Nungambakkam for cheating food delivery worker of ₹3,000

The Nungambakkam Police arrested a 19-year-old college student for allegedly cheating a 22-year-old food delivery worker of ₹3,000 using a fake UPI transaction trick near an HP petrol bunk on Kodambakkam High Road in Nungambakkam, Chennai, on the night of July 1.

The victim, identified as Joseph Maria Solomon, a resident of Hanuman Koil Street in West Mambalam, works for a private food delivery company. According to the police, the incident occurred after Solomon completed his work and was returning home on his motorcycle.

Three men standing beside a two-wheeler approached Solomon and sought his help, claiming their vehicle had run out of petrol. They requested him to tow their two-wheeler to a nearby petrol bunk.

Solomon agreed and towed their vehicle to the HP petrol bunk on Kodambakkam High Road. Once they arrived, the three men claimed they did not have cash on hand and requested Solomon to give them ₹3,000 in cash. They assured him that they would transfer the equivalent amount to him immediately using Google Pay.

After receiving the cash from Solomon, one of the suspects showed him a mobile phone screen claiming that the payment had been successfully made. The three men then quickly fled the spot on their vehicle.

Solomon soon realized he had been cheated when the money was not credited to his bank account. He subsequently lodged a complaint regarding the incident with the Nungambakkam Police.

The Nungambakkam Crime Wing launched an investigation and analyzed CCTV footage from the area to identify the suspects. Using the footage, the police identified and arrested 19-year-old Thiruchelvam, a resident of Subedar Garden in Kodambakkam.

During the investigation, police discovered that Thiruchelvam is a second-year college student. He also has three previous criminal cases registered against him.

The Nungambakkam Police are currently conducting search operations to trace and arrest the two remaining suspects who are currently absconding.