CHENNAI: Police arrested three persons who lured a 23-year-old man through a dating app and robbed him after inviting him for a meet-up at a secluded stretch along the Maduravoyal bypass road on Wednesday night.

The victim, who works as a cashier at a private firm, had looked for partners in a dating app and connected with a profile.

After fixing a meeting, the man went to the spot where three men who were hiding nearby accosted and assaulted him. They took his expensive mobile phone and fled the scene.

The victim subsequently lodged a complaint with the Vanagaram police, after which the police examined CCTV footage and zeroed in on the suspects.

The arrested men were identified as Abdul Rehman, Sharath, and Thirumalaivasan, all from Namakkal district. Police said the trio had no previous criminal record. They reportedly travelled from Namakkal to load fish from the Vanagaram market when they decided to target the victim.

Police warned the public to be wary of meeting strangers in secluded areas. Two months ago, eight youths, including two minors, were arrested for waylaying victims after luring them to a secluded spot by connecting through the Grindr app.