CHENNAI: The police have arrested a man who posed as a godman and claimed to ward off evil spirits cast on a family, and escaped with 70 sovereigns of gold jewellery in Kodungaiyur.

The complainant, Bujangaram (67), a businessman, recently noticed that about 70 sovereigns of gold jewellery were missing from his locker, after which he approached the police.

The probe revealed that there were no signs of forced entry into the house, after which the police questioned the family members. Further inquiry revealed that Bujangaram's daughter, Aishwarya (29), had become acquainted with a man named Sri Deepadharshan through her friend Jayasri.

The man told Aishwarya that their house was under the influence of evil spirits and that special rituals would remove them. He exploited Aishwarya's innocence and convinced her that gold jewellery was necessary to perform the rituals, and collected the ornaments from her in instalments over three months.

The Kodungaiyur police arrested Sri Deepadharshan (31) of Arumbakkam and recovered 63 sovereigns of gold jewellery from him. The police have launched a search for Jayasri, who had acted as an accomplice.