Robbery at knife-point in Triplicane: Income tax officials, SSI arrested; official vehicle seized

CHENNAI: The Chennai police arrested three income tax officials and a special sub inspector (SSI) with the Chennai police on Tuesday for allegedly robbing a collection agent of Rs 15 lakh at knife-point.

The arrested have been identified as I-T inspector Damodharan, I-T officer Pradeep, superintendent Prabhu, and SSI Rajasingh, attached to the law and order wing of the Triplicane police station. All four have been remanded in judicial custody.

The complainant Mohammed Ghouse of Old Washermenpet has been working as a collection agent for the past one year with Zunaith Ahamed, proprietor of Life Line CT Scan Centre at Vaniyambadi in Thirupathur district.

On December 15, Ahamed sent Ghouse to Chennai with Rs 20 lakh, directing him to buy a new CT scan machine.

On December 16 at 7 pm, Ahamed asked the complainant to hand over Rs 10 lakh to one Harish in Triplicane. Around 8 pm, when Ghouse was headed for Triplicane -- from Washermenpet, with a bag carrying Rs 20 lakh on his two-wheeler, a motorbike-borne person in SI uniform waylaid him near government Multi Super Specialty Hospital, Omandurar Estate.

Upon learning that Ghouse was carrying cash, the SSI asked him to show supporting documents for carrying cash; he also called another person, asking him to reach the spot.

As soon as he arrived, he flashed his I-T Department ID card. Soon, three more persons reached the spot in an official car of the I-T department. They took Ghouse and the money to the car, saying he should report at the I-T department office in Nungambakkam.

While the person in the SI uniform left at this point, the other four took Ghouse near the Government Children’s Hospital in Egmore, snatched his bag of cash at knife-point and decamped with it.

While deputy commissioner, Triplicane, was conducting an inquiry with Ghouse and his employer, SSI Rajasingh informed the Triplicane station inspector that he secured Ghouse with 'hawala' cash and handed it over to I-T officials.

Following this, Ghouse told the police that Rajasingh took Rs15 lakh and returned Rs 5 lakh to him at the scene of crime.

During the investigation, I-T officer Damodharan said that on Rajasingh’s information, he caught one person with hawala money.

Further probe revealed that Damodharan passed on the information to his superior Pradeep over the phone. Subsequently, Pradeep and Prabhu reached the spot, took the complainant in a car and snatched Rs15 lakh.

Ghouse gave the remaining Rs 5 lakh to one Shathakis of Triplicane, as instructed by his employer Ahamed, and filed a complaint saying the I-T officers took away all Rs 20 lakh from him.

Police have recovered the entire Rs 20 lakh and cited Ghouse and Shathakis as witnesses. Police also seized the department car (Kia-PY 05 VE 1818) and a Honda Activa (TN 10 BK 7134) used in the heist.

As the accused carried out the crime in an official car, the police are also investigating if any senior income tax officials are involved. Police are investigating if there had been similar incidents in the past, wherein police seized hawala money and handed it over to I-T officials.

BAD APPLES:

-- I-T inspector Damodharan, I-T officer Pradeep, superintendent Prabhu, and SSI Rajasingh arrested

-- They robbed the complainant, a collection agent at knife-point and snatched Rs 15lakh from him

-- Probe reveals the cop had returned Rs 5 lakh to the complainant at the crime scene and the rest were taken by the I-T officers

-- It has come to the fore that the accused allegedly used department vehicles to carry out the crime