Four men, including a lawyer, were arrested after a bank employee was robbed of Rs 11 lakh near Chennai’s Vani Mahal flyover. Karthikeyan was carrying Rs 12 lakh collected from Parrys Corner when the gang intercepted him. Investigators recovered Rs 2.38 lakh and are probing whether the robbery involved tip-off or hawala-linked money to suspects.
Four men, including a practising lawyer, have been arrested in connection with the robbery of Rs 11 lakh from a private bank employee near the Vani Mahal flyover in Chennai’s T Nagar. Police said that the victim, A Karthikeyan, a resident of Kundrathur, was returning on his two-wheeler on Wednesday night after collecting Rs 12 lakh in cash from Parrys Corner when the crime took place. Police added that he had collected the money on the instructions of his uncle, who is based in Malaysia.
Gang intercepts bank employee on flyover
According to investigators, Karthikeyan kept Rs 1 lakh in his trouser pocket and placed the remaining Rs 11 lakh in a bag. As he travelled along GN Chetty Road and reached the Vani Mahal flyover, a group of men on motorcycles intercepted him.
Police said the attackers blocked his way and threatened him before snatching the bag containing Rs 11 lakh. Reports also said a laptop was taken. The Rs 1 lakh kept separately in Karthikeyan’s pocket was not stolen.
Karthikeyan later approached Pondy Bazaar police and lodged a complaint. A case was registered and investigators began examining surveillance footage from roads, shops and buildings around the flyover.
CCTV footage helps police trace suspects
There were no useful cameras directly on the flyover, prompting officers to scan footage from more than 30 CCTV cameras along GN Chetty Road and nearby stretches. The footage helped police trace the suspects.
Police identified the arrested men as Anand Selvan, Bablu, Arunkumar alias Arnold and Mohamed Faisal. Arunkumar is a practising lawyer. Investigators recovered Rs 2.38 lakh from the stolen cash and also seized a two-wheeler allegedly used in the crime.
Police said Anand Selvan and Bablu have previous criminal cases registered against them. The four accused were produced before a court and remanded to judicial custody.
Police probe possible tip-off, hawala angle
Investigators are now trying to establish how the gang knew Karthikeyan would be carrying a large amount of cash. Police suspect the robbery may have been planned after the accused or their associates received information about his visit to Parrys Corner and the cash collection.
The source and purpose of the Rs 12 lakh are also under scrutiny. Police are examining whether the money had any connection to an illegal hawala transaction, though no such link has yet been established.
The investigation is also looking at whether anyone known to Karthikeyan or his uncle passed information about the cash movement to the gang.
Investigators are reconstructing Karthikeyan’s route to determine whether he was followed from Parrys Corner. Police are expected to compare the suspects’ movements, phone records and available CCTV footage as the probe into the robbery and possible tip-off continues.
(With inputs from agencies)