CHENNAI: The police are investigating an allegation of theft of gold jewellery from a family whose car met with an accident on the Maduravoyal bypass near Nolambur on Monday (October 12).

Officials said that the suspects pretended to help the victims and stole the jewellery.

The complainant, Bhavani Shankar (39) from Thoothukudi, had come to Chennai to take his wife Akhila (36), and their nine-month-old baby to their native place for Dussehra.

Akhila was staying at her father Thenraj's house in Tondiarpet.

The family left for Thoothukudi by car on Monday.

When the car was nearing Nolambur on the Maduravoyal bypass, the driver lost control and rammed a crash barrier at high speed. The impact left all three occupants injured and unconscious inside the vehicle.

The passersby who noticed the accident rescued the family and shifted them to a nearby hospital for treatment.

After regaining consciousness, Shankar checked his belongings in the car and found that a bag containing four sovereigns of jewellery was missing. He lodged a complaint at the Nolambur police station.

The police said they have secured CCTV footage from the area and dashcam footage from the car and are examining it to identify the suspects. Further investigation is under way.