Man held for burglary at mobile phone shop in Chennai

The police said Anketh Kumar runs a mobile phone shop on Irulappan Street, Sowcarpet. When he came to open the shop on July 15, he found the shutter lock missing and discovered that an unidentified person had gained entry into the shop. He found ₹29.5 lakh in cash and 25 mobile phones, including 17 iPhones, missing after the safe had been broken open. He lodged a complaint with the Crime Investigation Wing of the Elephant Gate police station.

The police analysed CCTV footage and call records of various suspects. They then arrested a suspect identified as Mukesh, 28, from Nagaur district, Rajasthan. The police said they recovered ₹25.14 lakh and 25 mobile phones from him.

According to the police, Mukesh had been working at the shop for the past six months, and he managed to make a duplicate key for the lock on the shutters. Last week, he quit his job and told the owner he would not be returning.

On the night of July 14, he used the duplicate to gain entry into the shop and allegedly decamped with the valuables. He then left for Andhra Pradesh. He was arrested on his return to the city.

Three held for snatching security guard’s phone

In a separate incident, the Pondy Bazaar Police arrested three persons on charges of snatching a mobile phone from a security guard, and then fleeing on a bike.

The police said Rustum Terang, 24, of Assam, had been working as a security guard at a private firm in T. Nagar. On the evening of July 17, when he was speaking over the phone while walking near Ramakrishna School, Pondy Bazaar, three unidentified persons, who were on a bike, snatched the phone from him and fled, even before he could raise an alarm.

Following his complaint, the Pondy Bazaar Police launched an investigation and arrested three suspects who have been identified as Velmurugan, 19, Santhosh Kumar, 23 and Rakesh, 23 of Mandaveli. The complainant’s mobile phone and a bike were seized from them. Two of them have previously had criminal cases against them.