Chennai: Priest tries to rob woman, nabbed
CHENNAI: A 36-year-old priest-turned robber is now in hospital after an attempt to steal jewels from a housewife failed and he fell from a building while trying to flee.
The police said the priest, S Ramakrishnan of Chromepet, was being treated for fractures in a rib and the right hand at the Government Hospital in Royapettah. Around 11.45 am on Monday, he went to the third floor apartment of V Madhavi at Anjugam Nagar 3rd Street in Jafferkhanpet. Madhavi's husband Veerarajulu, a manager in an automobile company, had left for work.
Madhavi wasn't expecting him, but as she knew him well, invited him in. She then went to the kitchen to make tea. Ramakrishnan locked the main door and advanced towards the kitchen, the police said. Seeing him there, Madhavi asked him to go back into the hall. Ramakrishnan pulled out a foot-long knife and asked her to part with her gold jewels. Madhavi initially agreed but then held the knife in both hands and screamed for help.
Residents on the first and second floors of the residential complex came out and began climbing towards Madhavi's flat. Ramakrishnan snatched the knife from her, inflicted a cut on the right hand and ran out. He saw people coming up and jumped off the terrace on to the second floor of the adjacent building. From there, he tried to land on the asbestos roof of a nearby temple, the police said.
"Ramakrishnan thought the asbestos sheet would hold his weight. It didn't and broke. The broken pieces inflicted deep cuts on his hands and he fractured his right hand and a rib in the fall," a police officer said. The injured Madhavi was also admitted to the Government Hospital in Royapettah. The Kumaran Nagar police slapped a robbery attempt and assault case against Ramakrishnan, the police said, was well-known to many residents in the locality and would come whenever called.
During questioning, Ramakrishnan said he planned the robbery as he knew Madhavi had many jewels in her house. She came to know him through one of her neighbours and often invited him to perform special pujas at her house.
The police said the priest, S Ramakrishnan of Chromepet, was being treated for fractures in a rib and the right hand at the Government Hospital in Royapettah. Around 11.45 am on Monday, he went to the third floor apartment of V Madhavi at Anjugam Nagar 3rd Street in Jafferkhanpet. Madhavi's husband Veerarajulu, a manager in an automobile company, had left for work.
Madhavi wasn't expecting him, but as she knew him well, invited him in. She then went to the kitchen to make tea. Ramakrishnan locked the main door and advanced towards the kitchen, the police said. Seeing him there, Madhavi asked him to go back into the hall. Ramakrishnan pulled out a foot-long knife and asked her to part with her gold jewels. Madhavi initially agreed but then held the knife in both hands and screamed for help.
Residents on the first and second floors of the residential complex came out and began climbing towards Madhavi's flat. Ramakrishnan snatched the knife from her, inflicted a cut on the right hand and ran out. He saw people coming up and jumped off the terrace on to the second floor of the adjacent building. From there, he tried to land on the asbestos roof of a nearby temple, the police said.
"Ramakrishnan thought the asbestos sheet would hold his weight. It didn't and broke. The broken pieces inflicted deep cuts on his hands and he fractured his right hand and a rib in the fall," a police officer said. The injured Madhavi was also admitted to the Government Hospital in Royapettah. The Kumaran Nagar police slapped a robbery attempt and assault case against Ramakrishnan, the police said, was well-known to many residents in the locality and would come whenever called.
During questioning, Ramakrishnan said he planned the robbery as he knew Madhavi had many jewels in her house. She came to know him through one of her neighbours and often invited him to perform special pujas at her house.
