CHENNAI: City police on Tuesday rounded up three for cheating a jeweller of Old Washermenpet to hand over 40 sovereigns of jewellery by posing as a courier sent by another jeweller in the city. The incident happened at Gowtham Jewellery run by Manohar Lal at TH Road.
According to the shop owner, a stranger came to the shop on Saturday afternoon claiming he was sent by Tejaram, another jeweller in RK Nagar, to collect 40 sovereigns of jewellery.
When Manohar Lal hesitated, the stranger dialled a number and handed the phone to Manohar Lal. The person at the other end mimicked Tejaram’s voice. A convinced Manohar Lal then handed over the jewellery to the stranger.
After sometime, Manohar Lal contacted Tejaram who said he neither spoke on the phone nor sent anyone to collect the jewellery.
Manohar Lal checked the footage from his shop’s CCTV camera and with the help of his regular couriers identified the stranger as Bhagwan, who runs a fancy store at Thirumullaivoyal, and his accomplices Mahednran, (28), and Amar, (28).
Manoharlal with the help of his friends managed to bring all three to Korukkupet police station.
However, the written complaint by Manohar Lal contradicted the sequence of events.
According to the written complaint, three persons came to the jewellery store posing as customers. They diverted the attention of the staff and took away the valuables.
Police said the three knew the arrangement between the jewellers who shared their products as and when required. “It appears all three of them were known to both the jewellers. Manoharlal smellt a rat only after there was no communication from Tejaram on Sunday about returning the jewels,” said a police official.