Courier impersonator assaults woman in Chennai high-rise, arrested within hours

CHENNAI: A man posing as a delivery agent infiltrated a residential apartment complex along the 200-foot Tambaram-Maduravoyal bypass road on Wednesday, assaulting a 40-year-old woman in a bid to snatch her gold chain. The suspect, identified as 21-year-old Sachin, was arrested by police within hours using CCTV evidence, which later surfaced on social media.

According to authorities, the victim, Manish Rani, resides on the tenth floor of a 14-story building. Her husband serves as a General Manager at Punjab National Bank. The incident occurred while Rani was alone at home, awaiting her husband’s return. Sachin reportedly knocked persistently on her door, claiming to be a courier. When she opened it, he attacked her, attempting to seize her chain.

Rani resisted fiercely, shouting for help during the struggle. The assailant fled after residents gathered in response to her cries, leaving her with facial injuries. She was subsequently rushed to a nearby private hospital for treatment.

Police traced Sachin through CCTV footage that captured him loitering on the building’s verandah and ringing doorbells. Investigations revealed his involvement in over a dozen prior criminal cases across the city. Authorities are also probing how he bypassed security to enter the premises, with the apartment’s guard currently under questioning.

A video clip of the suspect’s movements, recorded during the crime, went viral on social media platforms on Thursday, sparking public outrage. The case remains under investigation as officials review security protocols in residential complexes.