Income tax officials, SSI arrested for knife point robbery in Triplicane, official vehicle seized

CHENNAI: Three income tax officials and special sub inspector (SSI) of Chennai police were arrested on Tuesday by Chennai police in connection with knife point robbery of Rs. 15 lakh from the victim.

The arrested were identified as Income Tax Inspector Damodharan, Income Tax Officer Pradeep, Superintendent Prabhu and SSI Rajasingh attached law and order wing of Triplicane police station. They are being remanded to judicial custody.

Police action was based on a complaint from Mohammed Ghouse of Old Washermenpet working as collection agent for the past one year with Zunaith Ahamed, Proprietor of Life Line CT Scan Center, of Vaniyambadi, Thirupathur District.

Zunaith Ahamed sent the complainant to Chennai from Vaniyambadi on 15 December by giving Rs.20 lakhs to purchase a new CT Scan machine in Chennai.

On 16 December 2024 at 7 pm, Zunaith Ahamed asked the complainant to give Rs.10 lakhs to Harish at Triplicane.

While the complainant was carrying Rs.20 lakhs in a bag on his two wheeler from Washermenpet towards Triplicane by 8 pm on the same day, a two wheeler borne person with SI uniform waylaid his two wheeler near TN Govt. Multi Super Speciality Hospital, Omandurar Estate.

On knowing that he was carrying cash, the above SI asked the complainant to show the connected documents for carrying cash and also called on the phone asking them to come to the spot.

As soon as the person arrived, the person showed his Income Tax Department ID card and after a while three persons came in an official IT dept car took the complainant into the car with the money saying that he should go to the Income Tax Department office in Nungambakkam.

At that time, the aforesaid person with SI uniform left the scene.

Later, four persons took the complainant near Govt. Children Hospital, Egmore, decamped the cash on knife point and left the victim there.

Deputy Commissioner, Triplicane was conducting enquiry with the complainant and his employer, SI Rajasingh informed the Triplicane station Inspector that he secured the complainant with hawala cash and handed over to Income Tax Department officials.

Sequel to this, the complainant confessed that the above person took Rs.15 lakhs and returned Rs. 5 lakhs to him at the SOC.

During the enquiry conducted by DC/Triplicane District, Damodharan has stated that on the information given by the aforesaid SSI Rajasingh that he caught one person with hawala money.

Subsequently, Damodharan informed this to his higher official Pradeep over phone. Later, Pradeep and Prabhu came to the spot, took the complainant in a car and snatched Rs.15 lakhs cash from him.

Further enquiry unravels the complainant Mohammed Ghouse gave the remaining Rs. 5 lakhs cash to Shathakis of Triplicane, as instructed by Zunaith Ahamed and had preferred complaint that IT officers took away Rs.20 lakhs cash from him.

Following this, police had seized the entire Rs.20 lakh citing the complainant and Shathakis as witnesses.

Police also seized department car (Kia-PY 05 VE 1818) and a two wheeler (Honda Activa – TN 10 BK 7134) used in this heist were also seized.

As the accused had reached the spot in official car, the police are also investigating if any other senior income tax officials are involved in the case.

Police are trying to find out if there were any similar incidents happened in the past when police seize hawala money and hand it over to IT officials.