CHENNAI: The police arrested a woman and two men for snatching a 63-year-old woman's nine sovereign chain in Mambalam earlier this week.
The complainant, Tamilselvi (63) of Postal Colony, was walking back home after getting down from an auto-rickshaw when the accused came from behind and snatched her chain. The incident happened on March 14.
Tamizhselvi informed her son Rajesh, who alerted the police control room. The Ashok Nagar police rushed to the scene, recorded Tamizhselvi's complaint, and initiated an investigation.
Subsequently, the police zeroed in on the suspect, Srinivasan (50) of Royapuram. They said Srinivasan was arrested in a theft case in October 2025 and was released earlier this month.
He started driving an auto-rickshaw for a few days, but then went back to his old ways and targeted the elderly woman. Srinivasan handed over the gold chain to an auto driver, Kumaran (34) of Mylapore, who pledged the chain in a bank for a commission and handed over Rs 5.2 lakh to Srinivasan.
Srinivasan gave Rs 2 lakh to Anitha, an associate of another history sheeter whom Srinivasan had befriended in prison.
The police arrested Kumaresan and Anita and seized Rs 1.91 lakh cash from the accused. They were produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody.