Hit by financial crisis? Lodge a fake complaint

Avadi railway police on Thursday found that a complaint by a 48-year-old woman, claiming that her handbag was stolen during an EMU journey from Washermanpet to Avadi on January 2 was false. The woman, Rita Sagayamary of Washermanpet, also said the stolen bag contained Rs 1.2 lakh and nine sovereigns gold meant to be handed over to a building contractor engaged in constructing their new house.

Sustained enquiry by Avadi railway police brought out the truth. The woman admitted she falsely informed everybody that the money and gold were stolen in order to win sympathy from the contractor so that she can delay payment.

In another case, railway police found that a complaint of Rs 3 lakh theft by a 50-year-old man from Saidapet at Erode on November 29, was an imaginary one. The man, Murugesan, complained that somebody cut his bag while he was walking in a subway at Erode and took away cash.

“We sent the bag, which was cut, for forensic test. Experts refused to believe the complainant’s story and countered it with their own theory. The expert pointed out that the dress kept inside the bag had no scratch when the bag was cut, but the polythene bag with cash kept under the dress was stolen. When we questioned him in detail again with the forensic findings, he said he was a businessman and decided to lodge a complaint because of financial difficulties. He had to make some payment in Erode,” said Ameerunisha, inspector, Erode railway police, when this newspaper contacted her.

In both the cases, the police are taking legal action against the complainants.