Vadapalani fin firm robbery: Three more arrested

CHENNAI: Days after a gang robbed Rs 7 lakh cash from a private financing firm in Vadapalani, City police have arrested three more men and seized Rs 4.5 lakh from them.

Police had earlier arrested Riyaz Basha (22), a second-year student at a city arts and science college. Riyaz suffered a road accident while attempting to escape.

On Wednesday, police arrested Riyaz’s friend, Kishore and have launched a hunt for their associates- who were suspected to be in hiding in southern Tamil Nadu.

Police said that Johny alias Santosh and Dinesh were arrested by a special team while the mastermind, Mottai alias Kannan was arrested by a special team near Mangadu on Friday. Police said that Rs 4.5 lakh were secured from them.

One Suspect, surrendered before a court in Thiruvallur on Thursday. Police maintained that the stolen amount was Rs 6.9 lakh, while the initial reports suggested a higher amount.

Preliminary investigations have revealed that Riyaz and his friends were egged on by a man, who they knew as Mottai. Police said that Mottai was aware of the transactions in the finance office as he used to take loans from there frequently.

The finance firm functions from a first-floor apartment on Mannar Mudali first street in Vadapalani. One of the owners, D Saravanan (40) who also lives in the same apartment had rushed on hearing a commotion at the office and found his staff members injured. The gang who came around 3 pm had allegedly threatened them at knifepoint and escaped with the cash, police said.