Conman held for stealing Rs 13 lakh from car in Chennai

CHENNAI: A 46-year-old conman who for over a decade robbed couples in ECR beach landed in the police net on Saturday, after he stole a cash bag from a car in Chetpet, a week ago.

According to a complaint by Abishek Jacob of Poonamalee, he had travelled to a private hospital in Chetpet on June 13, to meet a family friend undergoing treatment there. When he returned from the hospital after an hour, the bag with Rs 13 lakh cash in it was missing.

Based on his complaint, Chetpet police perused the CCTV footage and found a bike borne man breaking into the car and decamping with the cash bag. A special team arrested the accused, M Jamaludeen of washermanpet and recovered the cash from him. He was using a stolen motorcycle for his escapades, which was also recovered from him.

Investigation revealed that he was also involved in a waylaying incident in Chetpet police limits, two days before he robbed the cash from the car.

Police sources said that he used to pose as a cop and threaten couples in public places. He was produced before a court and remanded in judicial custody.

Jamaludeen is a mechanical engineer who took to crime, as he couldn’t find a job, police said. He has over 25 pending cases against him. He’d regularly rob couples in secluded spots, and took advantage of their hesitancy to file a police complaint.