CHENNAI: An alert house owner trapped a burglar inside the building in Periyar Nagar, Vyasarpadi on Tuesday, leading to high drama during which the intruder threatened to end his life if the man did not allow him to leave.

The complainant, K Ramzan (50) of Periyar Nagar, Vyasarpadi, a leather company worker, left for his work around 9 am. He usually leaves the house key in the shoe rack, police said. When Ramzan returned home for lunch, he found the front door open and noticed the intruder roaming inside his house.

Acting quickly, Ramzan locked the front door and raised an alarm. Realising that he was trapped, the intruder attempted to negotiate his way out by threatening to hang inside Ramzan's house.

As the neighbours gathered, Ramzan entered the house along with others and secured the intruder until the police reached the scene. Personnel from Sembium police station reached the scene and arrested the intruder, identified as Hassan Basha (25) of BV Colony, Vyasarpadi.

The probe revealed that Basha already has a burglary case against him. He was produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody.