Man who had been stealing for 15 years posing as police inspector arrested

The Mambalam Police arrested a 61-year-old man who indulged in stealing at busy places in T. Nagar by posing as police inspector for a long time.

Police had been receiving continuous complaints that an unidentified person was targeting elderly people near the T. Nagar and Mambalam bus stands, posing as a police inspector, threatening them by claiming they were involved in ganja and drug sales and that they needed to be interrogated, and then robbing them of their jewellery and cash.

A special team of police scrutinised surveillance camera footage and found that the suspect had been active in both T. Nagar and Mambalam localities.

Further examination of more than 300 CCTV cameras from Mambalam traced the suspect’s movements, which ultimately ended at a bus stand in Cuddalore district.

Based on this, the special team arrested Bharathi, 61, a native of Cuddalore district, who had been on the run for nearly 15 years.

During interrogation, when asked about the whereabouts of the stolen jewellery, the accused revealed that he had sold it to one Ravichandran, 54, from the same area. Acting on this information, the police arrested Ravichandran as well.

In his confession to the police, Bharathi said he lives with his wife and two sons. Due to family circumstances, he initially began threatening elderly people near the Mambalam bus stand by posing as an inspector, accusing them of selling ganja, and asking them to come to the police station for inquiry. He would then take them to an isolated place and rob them of their jewellery and cash.

Police sources said he further admitted that, in a similar manner, he had been stealing for the past 15 years in several areas including Tambaram, Tiruvottiyur, Flower Bazaar and Tindivanam, specifically targeting elderly people while impersonating as a police inspector.

He said that he sold the robbed jewellery to his friend Ravichandran, collected the money, and lived a luxurious lifestyle with the proceeds.

Co-accused Ravichandran stated that he is also a native of Cuddalore district and works at a private jewellery shop in the same area. He confessed that he would melt the jewellery purchased from Bharathi, give him part of the money, and spend the remaining amount by himself.

Police seized one sovereign of gold jewellery from Ravichandran’s house.