Five arrested for making teen steal Rs 1.3 crore gold from Maduravoyal home
The Chennai Police have arrested a 21-year-old man and his four accomplices for allegedly manipulating his 19-year-old girlfriend into stealing gold jewellery worth Rs 1.3 crore from her family home in Lakshmi Nagar, Maduravoyal, over a six-month period. The theft came to light after the teenager's uncle discovered the missing valuables and filed a police complaint.
The primary suspect, identified as H Karthik, 21, of Shenoy Nagar, had befriended the 19-year-old girl while she was working at an establishment during her class 12 vacation. According to the police, Karthik extorted the jewellery from the teenager by falsely claiming that his father was seriously ill and that he desperately needed money to fund his medical treatment.
Believing his story, the girl began taking gold jewellery from her home bit by bit and handing it over to Karthik. The systematic thefts continued over a period of six months.
The crime was discovered when the girl's uncle, 51-year-old Panneerselvam, noticed that the gold jewellery stored in his sister-in-law's house in Lakshmi Nagar was missing. Following his discovery, Panneerselvam lodged a formal complaint with the local police.
During the initial investigation, police officers suspected an insider was involved in the theft, as there were no signs of forced entry into the house. Their investigation quickly zeroed in on Panneerselvam's niece. The girl is currently being questioned by the police and is cooperating with the ongoing probe.
In addition to Karthik, the police arrested four accomplices who allegedly helped him. The arrested accomplices have been identified as Kumaragopal, 20, and Prakash, 22, both from Avadi; Ramesh, 47, from Nandanam; and Surya, 28, from Mathur.
The suspects allegedly sold the stolen gold jewellery and used the proceeds to purchase various luxury items, including a car, a motorcycle, and mobile phones. Following the arrests, the police recovered approximately six sovereigns of gold jewellery, a mobile phone, Rs 50,000 in cash, a motorcycle, and a car from the accused. A further investigation into the case is currently underway.
