The Hindu : Tiruchi businessman kidnapped, robbed of jewels

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Apr 27, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Tamil Nadu-Chennai

Tiruchi businessman kidnapped, robbed of jewels

By Saptarshi Bhattacharya

Chennai April 26. A Tiruchi-based businessman was kidnapped from Egmore and robbed of gold and diamond jewellery, worth Rs. one crore, at knife-point by a two-member gang on Friday night. The culprits left him severely injured at Pallikaranai.

Subhash Chand is undergoing treatment for severe cut injuries at a private hospital in the city.

The police are on the look out for two persons, including Seetharaman, the driver of the car Mr. Subash Chand was travelling in, for complicity in the crime. He said Seetharaman's accomplice inflicted cut injuries on him and sped away with the valuables.

Mr. Subhash Chand came to city a couple of days ago to collect gold and diamond jewellery from smiths in Anna Nagar and Esplanade. On his way back, he was being dropped off at the Egmore station in a car belonging to one of the goldsmiths, Dilli of Anna Nagar. Mr. Chand said the accomplice was seated in the back of the car, when he boarded the vehicle at Esplanade to go to Egmore railway station.

"I did not pay heed as I thought he could be the driver's friend. It was 10 p.m. and I was running out of time. I left the suitcase in the rear seat and got into the front seat of the car. All of a sudden, the person seated on the back seat thrust a knife on my throat. I struggled with him and broke the front glass of the car in a bid to shout for help. The car stereo was playing full volume and nobody could hear me. The man then stabbed me on my right shoulder and right hand", he said.

He was then bundled into the leg space of the car and taken to Pallikaranai where he was dumped on the fields, about five metres away from the Velachery-Tambaram Road.

"I somehow dragged myself out and sought help. A local person called the police and helped me to a car and charged Rs. 1,000 for his services", Mr. Chand said. He was first taken to Government Royapettah Hospital and from there, shifted to a private hospital.

"The culprits decamped with 15 kg of gold and some diamonds".

Police officials investigating the case said the vehicle was later found abandoned in Ulundurpet. A team of police officials have been sent there to investigate.

The police said the driver was identified but his accomplice had not been identified yet. According to the culprit's driving license recovered from his employer, he had originally obtained a license from Mumbai in 1994. It was subsequently updated here. He had joined his present employer about four months ago.

However, not all was above board in this particular instance, police officials felt. They wondered why Mr. Chand should leave the suitcase containing valuables worth Rs. one crores when he was aware that an unknown person was seated behind.

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