Police in Chennai have arrested a 28-year-old man for allegedly stealing a mobile phone from a wheelchair-bound elderly man and later cheating his son of Rs3,500 through a fake accident call near Periamet.
The victim, Kadhar Basha (65), from Ranipet district, had travelled to Chennai a few days earlier to spend time at a mosque in Periamet during the holy month of Ramzan.
Phone Borrowed and Stolen
According to police, on Saturday afternoon while Kadhar Basha was near the mosque, a man approached him claiming that his phone battery had died and requested to make an urgent call.
After borrowing the phone, the suspect started a conversation with the elderly man, asking about his family and learning the names of his relatives. Moments later, he fled the spot with the mobile phone when the victim was distracted.
Fake Accident Call to Son
The accused later contacted the victim’s son using the stolen phone and falsely claimed that his father had been involved in a road accident and required urgent money for hospital expenses.
Believing the story, the son transferred Rs3,500 to the suspect via a UPI transaction.
Kadhar Basha later realised the fraud after speaking directly with his son and filed a complaint at Periamet Police Station.
Accused Arrested Using CCTV Footage
After examining CCTV footage from the area, police identified and arrested the suspect, Sameer Basha (28), a resident of Avadi, on Saturday.
During the arrest, officers recovered the stolen mobile phone and Rs1,900 in cash from the accused.
Police said further investigation is ongoing.
