Chennai: Engineering student among four held for robbing tourist

CHENNAI: An engineering student and four graduates were arrested on Wednesday for robbing a Slovenian tourist at Mamallapuram on December 26. Ksenija Murali had gone for a stroll on the beach when they gang snatched valuables from her.
Police identified and narrowed down on the suspects with the help of CCTV camera footage recorded at a nearby hotel.The suspects were seen fleeing the spot on two bikes.
The arrested were identified as Deepak Kumar, 20, Ajith Kumar, 23, Phillip Kumar, 24, Siva Kumar, 23, and Vijaya Kumar, 24, natives of Mamallapuram and nearby areas. Police said Deepak was studying in a private engineering college on the outskirts of Chennai.
Inquiries revealed that they committed robberies to make a quick buck and spend lavishly. They said they had spent all the money stolen from the tourist. Police have seized two motor bikes from them.
The Mamallapuram police registered a case. All the five people were sent to prison after they were produced before a magistrate court at Thirukazhukundram on Thursday.
Ksenija Murali told police that three youngsters had cornered her when she was on the beach alone and attacked her. Before she could raise an alarm, they snatched her bag containing 1,400 euros, $250, 1,000, a mobile phone worth 20,000, apart from her passport and an international credit card.
After arriving in the country on a tourist visa, Ksenija Murali came down to Mamallapuram in mid-December and checked into a star hotel.
Police said Ksenija Murali, who was injured in the attack, was in a state of shock. She was treated in a private hospital at Mamallapuram after she lodged a police complaint.