CHENNAI: Police arrested a couple who were looting valuables from women travelling alone in government buses by offering them drugged sweets.

Girija (50) of Velachery, who visited Vellore, was returning to Tambaram in a government bus. After the bus reached Tambaram, the driver and conductor noticed that Girija was unconscious in her seat. They woke her up and sent her home in an autorickshaw.

After reaching home, Girija noticed that her two-sovereign gold chain was missing, and she informed her family that a woman who was seated next to her offered her a sweet, and she had fallen unconscious after eating it.

In a similar incident last month, Janaki (56) of Chromepet was returning after visiting her mother in Vellore.

When nearing Tambaram, Janaki became unconscious, and soon she was sent to Chromepet GH in an autorickshaw. Later, Janaki noticed her three sovereign gold chains and six sovereign bangles were missing.

The Tambaram police, who registered a case, were trying to identify the person who offered spiked sweets to the passengers.

The police, after investigation, arrested Parameshwaran (52) of Dindigul and his paramour Rani (54) of Namakkal.

The police found that the couple used to target the women travelling alone in government buses and talk in a friendly manner with them, and offer them the spiked sweet.

Then, after they passed out, the duo would loot the valuables and escape from the spot. Already, cases were registered against the couple in Tiruchy, Ramanathapuram and Palani police stations.

The police seized 10 sovereign gold ornaments from them, and both of them were remanded in judicial custody and sent to prison.