CHENNAI: In a startling case of deception, two men have been arrested for posing as doctors at the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital (RGGGH) and stealing gold jewelry and a mobile phone from a woman who was caring for her mother-in-law.
The accused have been identified as Rajesh Prithvi (35) from Press Colony, Coimbatore, and Aravindan (30) from Seerkazhi, Mayiladuthurai district. They were apprehended on Thursday by the RGGGH police station crime branch following an investigation into the incident.
According to police, the victim, Kanchana (30), a resident of Kolathur, had admitted her mother-in-law to the hospital on June 4, 2025. On June 6, while she was accompanying her mother-in-law to see an anesthesiologist, a man approached her, introducing himself as the doctor in charge of the surgery. He requested to see the medical documents, which Kanchana provided.
The following day (June 7), the same individual approached Kanchana in the ward and took her to the 7th floor, claiming they needed to purchase medicines. He then suggested Kanchana too undergo a scan and instructed her to place her jewelry and mobile phone in a bag beforehand. Trusting him, Kanchana handed over her 3-sovereign gold thalichain (mangalsutra), a 2-gram ring, and her mobile phone. The man said he would keep the bag in his cabin and asked her to wait, but he never returned.
Realizing she had been deceived, Kanchana filed a complaint at the RGGGH police station. A police team, led by the Inspector of Police, analyzed CCTV footage from the hospital and identified the suspects. They were arrested on March 12, 2026.
During interrogation, the accused confessed to targeting Kanchana at the hospital. They revealed that they had sold the stolen jewelry and used the proceeds to purchase two gold coins weighing 12 grams and an old car. Police have recovered the gold coins and the car from their possession.
Further investigation uncovered that Rajesh Prithvi has a criminal history, including two cases of attempted murder.
The arrested individuals were produced before a court on Thursday and remanded to judicial custody. Police have registered a case and are conducting further inquiries.