CHENNAI: A serial offender with over 62 theft and burglary cases against him has been arrested for stealing from an elderly couple’s house in Puzhal, after gaining entry under the guise of a Tangedco worker.

Police said that the complainant, Thirupurasundari (69), a retired teacher, was alone at home when the accused knocked on her doors on May 30.

Her husband was out for her morning walk and the accused came to her house on the first floor and told her that he works with the EB and that there was a leakage in the neighbourhood. He told her to go downstairs and check the ‘electric main’ while he checked the wiring in the house.

Even before she could go down, he rushed out of the house, saying that he had checked the wiring and that there was nothing to worry about, and left in his motorcycle. Thirupurasundari went home and found that a gold bracelet, gold chain and three gold rings (around eight sovereigns) were missing and realised that he was a thief.

She filed a complaint with the Puzhal police who conducted investigations and zeroed in on the accused. On Saturday, a police team arrested Balaji alias ‘Laptop’ Balaji of Tondiarpet and recovered the stolen jewellery from him.