Gemstone dealer robbed of valuables worth Rs 2 lakh at hotel

The incident happened on Saturday evening but the victim, Srinivasalu, lodged a complaint at the North Beach police station only on Tuesday.

The police said a person named Yogesh befriended Srinivasalu on Facebook and expressed interest to buy gemstones from him. Believing him, Srinivasalu and his friend Mukesh, accompanied by his family, reached Chennai on Saturday (April 20) evening and checked into different rooms in a hotel at Mannadi.

After he informed Yogesh of his arrival, three men reached the hotel and entered his room, then the trio threatened Srinivasalu at knifepoint and robbed him of cat’s eye gemstones, the cash and mobile phone.

Based on his complaint, the North Beach police registered a case and combed the CCTV footage retrieved from the hotel. Since the images of three men entering the hotel have been recorded, the police have intensified the investigation and have launched a hunt for the suspects.