CHENNAI: The Pazhavanthangal police arrested three members of a family for allegedly cheating 19 people of Rs 37.87 lakh through a fraudulent monthly chit fund scheme.
The accused have been identified as Dhanalakshmi (63), her son Balaji (40), and his wife Lavanya (31). The investigation was launched based on a complaint filed by Srinivasan and 18 others from 4th Street, BV Nagar, in Pazhavanthangal.
According to the complaint, Dhanalakshmi had been operating the chit fund scheme for about a decade. She was assisted by her son, daughter-in-law, and two daughters in collecting funds. The complainants stated that they had enrolled in monthly lotteries of Rs 5 lakh, Rs 2 lakh, and Rs 1 lakh, contributing money regularly from February 2024 until March 2025.
After collecting a total sum of Rs 37.87 lakh from the group, Dhanalakshmi abruptly vacated her house in April 2025 and went into hiding, prompting the victims to approach the police.
Following inquiries, a special police team led by Pazhavanthangal inspector tracked down the accused, who were hiding in the Koyambedu area. The trio was arrested on Wednesday.
After interrogation, all three arrested individuals were produced before a court. Following the court's order, they have been remanded to judicial custody.
Police are continuing their search for Dhanalakshmi's two daughters, who are also suspected of being involved in the fraud and are currently at large.