Rs 20 lakh robbery: Absconding SSI nabbed from Dehradun

CHENNAI: A special team of the Greater Chennai City Police nabbed an absconding special sub-inspector (SSI) from Dehradun in connection with the Rs 20 lakh robbery from a trader in Triplicane police limits a month ago. A city police sub-inspector and three officials with the Income-Tax Department were earlier arrested in connection with the case.

The police have been on the trail of SSI Sunny Lloyd, attached to the Saidapet police station, since the arrest of Triplicane sub-inspector Raja Singh, who spilled the beans about the role Lloyd played in the crime.

Raja Singh and three I-T officials – Pradeep (40), Damodharan (38), and Prabhu (41) – allegedly robbed Mohammad Ghouse, a trader from Washermenpet.

Ghouse had taken Rs 20 lakh from a client in Vaniyambadi to buy a CT scan machine. He went in person to Vaniyambadi to collect the money and was going towards Triplicane from Washermanpet with the cash on a two-wheeler when he was intercepted by a man in police uniform.

The police officials questioned Ghouse about the contents of the bag. When he responded that it was cash for business purposes, the official called three others who came in plainclothes and flashed identity cards claiming to be Income-Tax department officials.

They said they would take him to their headquarters in Nungambakkam for questioning and put him in a car.

When the car reached Egmore, they held him under knifepoint and made him part with the cash bag and fled the scene, Ghouse said in his complaint.

Though it was earlier believed that they could be conmen posing as police and I-T officials, investigations by Triplicane police revealed that the gang that orchestrated the robbery were actual government officials and arrested them.

Officials said SSI Lloyd has been placed under suspension.