Chennai Gang Forces Victim To Take Loan, Withdraws Rs 9,500, Snatches Phone

Pallikaranai Police arrested four men on Wednesday after they kidnapped Ajay, 21, and coerced him into securing a loan to fund their robbery. The incident, reported by local officials, unfolded in the Pallikaranai area when the group forced Ajay into an auto-rickshaw. When Ajay claimed he had no cash, the attackers beat him. They then compelled him to apply for a loan via a mobile application.

Once the loan was sanctioned, the gang stopped at an ATM. They withdrew Rs 9,500 from Ajay's account and snatched his cellphone before releasing him. The modus operandi—using the victim's own financial identity to commit the crime—marks a disturbing escalation in local street crimes.

Police identified the suspects as Sai Abuthakir alias Abu (18), Prakash Raj (22), Poobalan (23), and Sanjay (21), all residents of Chennai. An investigating officer confirmed the auto-rickshaw used for the abduction has been seized. The four accused have been sent to judicial custody.

The case highlights the growing vulnerability of gig workers and young men to digital financial crimes in urban centers. As the investigation proceeds, police are reviewing whether the group has prior links to similar kidnapping-for-loan incidents in the district.