Chennai man nabbed for 15 years of fake cop scams targeting elderly

India Jan 07, 2026

Chennai police have arrested 61-year-old Bharathi for pretending to be a police inspector and robbing elderly people at bus stands in T. Nagar and Mambalam.
He would accuse victims of drug trafficking, threaten them with fake interrogations, then steal their jewelry and cash.

How he got away with it—and how he was finally caught

Bharathi admitted he'd been pulling off similar scams across Chennai and nearby towns for 15 years, funding a comfortable life for his family.
He sold the stolen gold to Ravichandran, who melted it down, gave Bharathi part of the money, and kept the rest for himself.
Police tracked them by reviewing over 300 CCTV cameras, eventually arresting both men—who have now confessed to their crimes.