CCTV camera footage came in handy for the police in tracing the jewellery and cash that a woman misplaced while travelling in an autorickshaw near Anna Salai, 10 days ago.

At 7 p.m. on May 4, S. Sripriya, 49, was returning home in an auto-rickshaw from the Central Railway Station. She got down near Anna Salai. Only after reaching her house in Meeran Shahib Street, Chintadripet, did she realise that her purse containing 19 sovereigns of gold jewellery and ₹1,500 in cash was missing. The Chintadripet police received her complaint and took up the investigation.

Chintadripet police inspector G. Murugesan and a special team of police personnel made a spot inspection. CCTV footage showed a person coming in a goods carrier taking the purse that had fallen on the road from the auto. CCTV footage in the area was analysed to identify the persons who took the purse.

A welding mark on the vehicle gave the clue to identify the original owner of the vehicle. Kalaiselvan, 49, who was the cleaner and Parthasarathy, 34, the driver of the vehicle, possessed the missing purse.

After interrogation, the police recovered 19 sovereigns of gold jewellery that was pledged by the duo with a lender. Kalaiselvan and Parthasarathy were arrested. The recovered jewellery and cash was handed over to the complainant by the police.