Burqa-clad man steals Rs 1.4 lakh from ex-employer in Chennai; bumps into patrol team, arrested

CHENNAI: The burqa that he wore was supposed to protect his identity if any CCTV cameras or former acquaintances spotted him. But hours after successfully stealing Rs 1.4 lakh from his ex-employer, the same burqa led to his capture, as a police patrol team grew curious about a burqa-clad woman road on the street at that odd hour.

According to the police, the 40-year-old man, K Karthikeyan, a native of Pillakottai in Krishnagiri district, was furious at his previous employer for paying him a poor salary. After his poor financial situation led to a quarrel with his wife, he came back to the city with a plan to steal money from his ex-boss.

Karthikeyan was working at a hardware firm in Lotus Colony in Madhavaram for three years until 2023. He had quit the job, as his employer was not paying him well, police said.

Later, he shifted to Bengaluru for another job. But unable to meet family expenses, he pawned his wife’s scooter, which led to discord between the couple. That is when Karthikeyan travelled to Madhavaram from Bengaluru, planning to steal from his previous employer.

Around 2.30 am on Monday, Karthikeyan broke into the store wearing a burqa and stole the cash from the chest and also a cheque leaf.

However, he bumped into a police patrol team within hours, who stopped the ‘woman’ out of curiosity as a burqa-clad person was walking at odd hours. After finding out that he was a man and that he had stolen money from the shop, they handed him over to the Madhavaram police, who arrested him. He was produced before a magistrate and remanded in judicial custody.