Coimbatore: Five-member gang robs 3, takes nude photos of two

COIMBATORE: A five-member gang robbed three people of gold ornaments weighing 12 sovereigns, three mobile phones and Rs 8,500 while they were discussing a second-hand scooter deal at a house at Vadavalli here on Friday evening.
The gang also made a man and woman at the house pose nude for photos and threatened them to circulate them on social media, if they were to approach police.
According to the Vadavalli police, the incident took place at the house of a 51-year-old woman at Kamadenu Nagar when her friend, a 29-year-old woman, and a 37-year-old second-hand two-wheeler dealer came there to discuss a possible deal. A police officer said, “The women are members of a self-help group. The 29-year-old had sought Rs 10,000 from the other woman to buy a second-hand scooter. The latter asked her to meet her at her house on Friday afternoon. She also invited the second-hand two-wheeler dealer.”
When the two came to the elderly woman’s house around 2pm on Friday, five people with masks on their faces entered the house and robbed them of all their valuables. “Later, the gang took the young woman and the dealer to the kitchen, removed their clothes and made them pose for photos. They threatened to circulate the photos on social media if they approach police and escaped,” the officer said.
Based on the second-hand two-wheeler dealer’s complaint, Vadavalli police inspector G Manivannan registered a case against the gang under Sections 392 (punishment for robbery), 397 (robbery or dacoity with attempt to cause death or grievous hurt) and 450 (house trespass in order to commit offence punishable with imprisonment for life) of the Indian Penal Code. Police have collected phone call details of the trio and formed a special team to nab the gang.
(The victims' identity has not been revealed to protect their privacy as per Supreme court directives on cases related to sexual assault)