Robbers mock ‘poor’ man before stealing car

CHENNAI: “Ivalo periya veedu katuniye konjamachum costly porul vaikamaatiya?”, (You have built a huge house, why don’t you keep expensive items here?) was the question a gang of five asked 59-year-old Ekambaram after they failed to find expensive items at his house in Gummidipoondi on Sunday night. Later, they took his car and abandoned it on a flyover.

“Five men barged into the house with weapons, took the couple to a room and tied them to chairs. They managed to take 1-kg silver articles, 15 silk sarees and two mobile phones. Unsatisfied with the haul, one of them asked why they did not keep expensive items in such a big house. They then took his car away, which we later found on the Pethikuppam flyover,” said the police.

The incident took place around 8 pm when the victims – Ekambaram (59), a farmer and his wife Kasiammal (52) – were in the ground floor of their house in Dasildharmedu near Gummidipoondi, while their son was asleep on the first floor. 

“One of them held Ekambaram at knife-point and even asked for `5 lakh. When he said he does have the money, they mockingly asked him to take a loan. Before leaving, they removed the CCTV cameras along with the DVR and took the car keys,” said the officer. After the gang left, Ekambaram alerted his son who was asleep throughout the incident. Based on their complaint, Gummidipoondi police registered a case and found the car.  A hunt is on.