CHENNAI: A 28-year-old jewellery shop employee and a transgender person were arrested for allegedly decamping with `65 lakh in cash. The Elephant Gate police managed to recover `53.44 lakh and a mobile phone from the duo.
The complainant, Nikalchand Jain (51), a resident of Perambur Barracks Road, runs a gold and silver jewellery business on NSC Bose Road.
According to the police, Naveen (28), who had been working at the shop for the past four years, was sent on May 6 to collect 26 kg of silver bars from Jain’s brother-in-law. Naveen was told to deliver the silver to a trader named Dileep in Mint Street and collect Rs65 lakh in return.
However, after collecting the cash, Naveen switched off his phone and went missing.
The Elephant Gate police formed a special team. Using CCTV footage and technical surveillance, the team traced Naveen to Ooty, where he was apprehended on May 8. The police recovered Rs 20,990 and a new Vivo mobile phone from him.
During interrogation, Naveen confessed he had hatched the plan with his acquaintance, Pradeep Kumar alias Prarthana (19), a transgender person from Royapuram. Naveen allegedly handed over Rs 63 lakh to Prarthana in Chennai before fleeing to Ooty with Rs 2 lakh.
Acting on this lead, the police raided a house in Moolakothalam and arrested Prarthana, recovering Rs 53.23 lakh of the stolen cash. In total, the police have recovered Rs 53,44,820. Both the suspects were produced before a magistrate on May 9 and remanded in judicial custody.