The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Stolen property worth Rs. 20 lakhs returned to owners

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 09, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Stolen property worth Rs. 20 lakhs returned to owners

Staff Reporter

Beware of criminals posing as courier agents, says city police chief

PROPERTY RESTORED: The Greater Chennai Commissioner of Police, R. Nataraj, inspects some of recovered articles at the Commissionerate on Thursday. — Photo: M.Vedhan

CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Police Commissioner, R. Nataraj, on Thursday returned stolen property worth Rs. 20.70 lakhs to the owners.

Mr. Nataraj said Anna Nagar police arrested Purushothaman (38) of Rajamangalam, Villivakkam, and recovered jewellery weighing 218 sovereigns from him. He was involved in 27 cases — one in 2003, 7 in 2004 and 19 this year. Police also arrested his associate John. Rajamangalam, Kolathur, Thirumangalam, Aminjakarai, Arumbakkam, Koyambedu, Korattur, Ambattur and Avadi were the places where he committed the offences, he said.

With the arrest of Gopi of Madurai, the police recovered 650 grams of gold jewellery. Mr. Nataraj said Gopi was working in a jewellery shop in Kodambakkam. The shopkeeper had noticed that 650 gm of gold jewellery had been removed and replaced with fake ornaments. He lodged a complaint with the police. A special party arrested Gopi at Pozhichalur on Tuesday and recovered the stolen property from him, he said.

Korattur police arrested Sathish and Shanmugam of Ambattur and Murali of Tirumullaivoyal and recovered 27 sovereigns of jewellery from them, Mr. Nataraj said and added that the three-member gang was involved in several house break-ins in Ambattur, Ambattur Estate, Korattur and Sriperumbudur.

Appreciating the work of police personnel, Mr. Nataraj said even while attending the relief works in the flood affected areas, the city police were able to attend to the regular crime detection work and recovered the stolen property.

Mr. Nataraj said criminals, who target lone women for theft and other crimes by claiming to be electricians and plumbers, were now adopting a new method.

They posed as `courier boys.' Referring to a recent such incident in T. Nagar, Mr. Nataraj warned the residents against opening doors to strangers.

So far this year, 538 persons had been detained under the Goondas Act, he said. The police had also arrested two persons involved in the Kodungaiyur murder for gain case.

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