Three arrested in T Nagar for robbing jewellery shop employee using dating app

The Mambalam police crime wing arrested three 19-year-old youths on Tuesday for allegedly luring a jewellery shop employee through an online dating application, threatening him, and robbing him of his mobile phone and cash. The incident occurred near the Kannammapettai burial ground on New Boag Road in T Nagar, Chennai, on June 28.

The victim, 23-year-old Kendarnath, is a native of Karnataka who is employed at a gold jewellery shop in T Nagar. According to the police, Kendarnath received an invitation through an online dating app on June 28. He responded to the invitation and went to the specified location near the Kannammapettai burial ground on New Boag Road.

At the location, three men confronted Kendarnath, threatened him, and demanded money. When Kendarnath informed them that he did not have any physical cash on hand, the suspects forced him to transfer funds using an online money portal. The men then snatched his high-end mobile phone and fled the spot.

Following the incident, Kendarnath lodged a complaint with the police. The crime wing of the Mambalam police registered a case and initiated an investigation, which led to the arrest of the three suspects on the following Tuesday.

The arrested individuals have been identified as Sivakumar, 19, residing in Gandhipuram, Kannammapettai; Gokul, 19, residing on South West Boag Road, T. Nagar; and Kamal, 19, also from Gandhipuram, Kannammapettai.

Upon arresting the suspects, the police recovered the victim's stolen high-end mobile phone. They also seized another mobile phone that was used by the accused to commit the crime.

Subsequent investigations by the police revealed that all three of the accused worked at mobile phone service shops situated in and around the T Nagar area. Additionally, police records show that Sivakumar has a prior history of criminal activity, with four cases registered against him, including three narcotics-related cases.