A cunning individual from Hosur, aged 44, found himself in police custody on Sunday. Vaniyambadi Town police in Tirupattur made the arrest following a complaint that the man had successfully pawned five sovereigns of fake gold jewelry, walking away with ₹1.5 lakh in cash from a local pawn broker just days earlier.
Authorities identified the arrested suspect as S. Madhavan, a mechanic by profession. Initial investigations revealed that R. Sait, a 47-year-old pawn broker who has operated a jewelry shop in Vaniyambadi for many years, was the victim of this elaborate deception.
The incident unfolded on September 9 when Madhavan approached Sait at his shop. He presented a gold chain, claiming he urgently needed cash to cover his family’s medical expenses. The chain, to Sait’s initial assessment, appeared genuine.
Believing the jewelry to be authentic, Sait handed over ₹1.5 lakh to Madhavan. However, upon a more thorough inspection later, Sait discovered the shocking truth: the chain was merely steel, cleverly coated with a thin layer of gold.
Sait immediately contacted the Vaniyambadi Town police. Officers swiftly launched an investigation, meticulously reviewing CCTV footage from along the suspect’s route and from public areas, including the local bus terminal. Leveraging mobile phone tower signals, they successfully tracked Madhavan to his hideout in Hosur town, leading to his apprehension. A formal case has been registered, and Madhavan is currently held in the sub-jail in Tirupattur as the probe continues.