CHENNAI: Ten videos posted by YouTuber Madhumitha on Instagram after her house was burgled have together attracted around 1.5 crore views, with her follower count also seeing a sharp rise following the incident.
According to a Maalaimalar report, Madhumitha, who lives with her husband Vinoth Kumar and their daughter in Anantha Nadar Kudiyiruppu in Nagercoil, is known for posting videos featuring jewellery, cash and her lifestyle on social media.
The couple was away from home when unidentified burglars allegedly broke open the rear door of their house and escaped with 118 sovereigns of gold jewellery and cash.
Rajakkamangalam police have registered a case and launched an investigation. Three special teams have been formed on the directions of district Superintendent of Police Anshul Nagar to trace those involved.
As part of the probe, police examined CCTV footage from the surrounding areas. One camera captured a helmet-wearing man riding a motorcycle with a bag on his back. Police subsequently examined footage from more than 600 CCTV cameras in the area.
The footage reportedly helped investigators trace the suspect's movements from the house towards Thottiyodu and later along the four-lane highway. Police have also detained two people for questioning.
Before the burglary, Madhumitha had uploaded 6,669 videos on her Instagram account. Police are examining various aspects of the case, including her social-media activity, as part of the investigation.
Within hours of the theft, she posted 10 more videos on Instagram. Some of the clips showed her dancing while surrounded by currency notes.
The videos subsequently attracted significant attention online. One of the clips received around 39 lakh views within 40 hours, while three other videos recorded approximately 20 lakh, 15 lakh and 11 lakh views, respectively.
Together, the 10 videos have accumulated around 1.5 crore views, according to the figures cited in the report.
Madhumitha’s Instagram following has also increased since the burglary. Her follower count, which was reportedly between 3 lakh and 3.25 lakh before the incident, has now moved close to 5 lakh.
Interestingly, her account reportedly does not follow any other Instagram users.
The police investigation into the burglary is continuing, while the CCTV footage and other evidence are being examined to identify and trace the suspects.