Goldsmith selfie in Chennai bar helps nab 'new buddy' with 9 lakh stolen gold

CHENNAI: Here's another reason to flee people with selfitis. Police on Wednesday arrested a thief, identifying him from a selfie by a goldsmith who took a shine to the rogue in a Tasmac bar on Wall Tax Road on Tuesday night, before the man slipped away with a bag containing 301g of gold worth 8.8 lakh. Hemanth, 43, who supplies showrooms in the city with jewellery made in a shop on Wall Tax Road, told police that the suspect appeared familiar though he couldn't quite place him. Hemanth was returning to his shop on Tuesday evening with 301g of gold and an order for ornaments from a jewellery outlet in T Nagar when the suspect accosted him outside a Tasmac store, an investigating officer said. "The man greeted the goldsmith as if they were acquaintances and insisted that they have a drink together," he said. "Hemanth had work to do but the man sweet-talked him into accompanying him into the bar attached to the liquor store." Thief knew target would be carrying gold: PoliceAfter a first round, in the first flush of warming cockles, Hemanth decided that he’d found a kindred soul. He whipped out his cellphone and insisted on a selfie with his new drinking buddy.“I said the selfie would make the occasion memorable,” the goldsmith told police.After a few more drinks, Hemanth’s companion politely excused himself, the officer said.“The man stepped out, saying he needed to relieve himself,” he said. “Hemanth was enjoying his drink and did not notice that the man swiped the bag with the gold.”“The man, whom we later identified as Karunakaran, 35 of Kondithope, took the bag with the expertise of a professional thief. The goldsmith had placed the bag on an empty chair that he drew close to himself so he could keep an eye on it, but it was only several minutes later, when Karunakaran failed to return, that he realized the bag was missing too,” the officer said.Sober in an instant from the shock, Hemanth rushed to the Seven Wells police and lodged a complaint.Investigators had few leads to work on till the goldsmith, examining his cellphone, discovered the selfie he’d taken with the suspect. Police arrested Karunakaran a few hours later and seized the stolen gold from him.“Karunakaran was aware that Hemanth often carried gold to his shop on Wall Tax Road after he received an order to make jewellery,” the officer said. “It was a wellplanned crime. And Hemanth proved an easy target.”