CHENNAI: A day after being kidnapped by a six-member gang and subsequent rescue, the photographer and the auditor were arrested by Virugambakkam police for cheating the gang of Rs 30 lakh. According to the police, Newton and his auditor Raguji were booked based on counter complaint by the abductors as to why they hatched the plan to kidnap them.
During an interrogation, The police during interrogation found that the mastermind behind the iridium fraud is one Mathews from Bangalore.
“Several months ago it was Mathews who asked Newton to find customers for iridium and the latter got in touch with Sathish Kumar, one of the kidnappers. Mathews met Sathish Kumar and others and conducted a demo, wherein he placed a temple kalasam laced with iridium which attracted rice grains,” said a police officer.
Mathews convinced them that it is the power of the kalasam and the gang gave Rs 35 lakh to Newton.
On realising they had been cheated the gang called for a compromise talk. On the day of the kidnap, Mathews too reached the spot but since talks failed, he managed to escape before they kidnapped Newton and Raguji.
Virugambakkam police have launched a hunt for Mathews. Meanwhile, 2.5 sovereigns were recovered from the gang which they bought swiping Newton’s debit card at a jewellery showroom in Tiruttani since they did not get the ransom they demanded.