CHENNAI: Police have arrested a 64-year-old man who conned a 72-year-old retired railway employee of Rs 50,000 by posing as a former colleague and concocting a story of medical emergency for one of their colleagues. Police arrested the accused and recovered Rs 47,000 from him.

The accused had approached the victim, identified as Uma Sankar, a resident of Anna Nagar, at a restaurant. Claiming to be a relative of one of Sankar's colleagues, he said that the colleague's father-in-law died in Tiruchy and they required immediate funds.

Allegedly moved by the story, the victim handed over Rs 50,000 to the conman. However, when the phone number he left with the victim could not be reached, the victim filed a complaint with Anna Nagar police, after which a case was registered.

Police investigations led to the arrest of Arul Mozhi Varman (64), a resident of Ambattur. He was produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody.