CHENNAI: Two autorickshaw drivers were arrested by the city police for threatening guest workers who travelled in their vehicles and extorted over Rs 3,800 from them through UPI apps on their phones.

Aminjikarai police arrested the auto drivers based on a complaint from the guest workers. The complainant, Vinoth Singh (21) of Jharkhand had come to the city along with four of his friends for construction labourer jobs.

The group, on reaching Chennai Central railway station, were approached by the accused auto drivers who offered to take them to their worksite in Maduravoyal. The group from Jharkhand got into two auto rickshaws and as they were moving towards the destination, the auto drivers took them to a secluded stretch and threatened the guest workers at knifepoint.

The duo then made the guest workers transfer Rs 3,800 from their phones through UPI and fled the scene. Vinoth Singh filed a complaint with the Aminjikarai police, who, after investigations, arrested E Vijay (28) of Pudupet and C Santosh Kumar (22) of Otteri.

Police have also seized their autorickshaws and phones from them. They were produced before a magistrate and remanded to judicial custody.