Chennai: A 35-year-old cab driver thought he had found a clever way to throw police off his trail when he slipped into a green churidar to disguise himself as a woman while robbing an elderly woman in Avadi. But his plan got exposed when CCTV footage captured him stepping out of his house in the same outfit.The accused, G Venkatesh Raja, 35, a first-time offender, told police that he had resorted to robbery to clear his mounting debts. He had bought the churidar specifically to conceal his identity while committing the crime.Police said that on Sunday, K Senthoorakani, 60, was alone at home in Morai, near Avadi, when Venkatesh, dressed in a green churidar with his face covered, barged in and threatened her with a knife. He snatched her five-sovereign gold chain and fled.The woman immediately informed her husband, Jeyapal, and the couple lodged a complaint with the Avadi Tank Factory police.Deputy commissioner of police, Avadi, V Vinoth Shantharam said the robber had covered his face with a cloth and did not utter a word during the incident. Senthoorakani initially believed the intruder was a woman.On examining CCTV footage from the neighbourhood, police found that Venkatesh, who lived in the same neighbourhood, stepped out of his house wearing the same green churidar. Police said the elderly couple ran a grocery shop in the locality, which he frequently visited. He knew Senthoorakani would be alone at home during the day and planned the robbery accordingly.
