Police in Chennai have arrested four men in connection with the knife attack on a retired Army veteran and the theft of his mobile phone near the Tambaram bus stand.
The victim, Michael (55), a resident of Ranganathapuram 6th Street in West Tambaram, is a retired Army serviceman currently employed as a security guard at a State Bank of India branch in Guindy. On Monday (29 December 2025) evening, after completing his duty, he travelled to Tambaram and was walking home when he was intercepted near the Ambedkar statue at the Tambaram bus terminus.
According to police, a four-member gang that had been following him waylaid Michael, attacked him with a knife, and snatched his mobile phone before fleeing the scene. Michael sustained injuries in the assault and was admitted to a private hospital in Chromepet, where he received treatment.
Based on a complaint, Tambaram police registered a case and analysed CCTV footage from the area to identify the suspects. The four accused were later traced and detained near the MRM TASMAC outlet in Tambaram, after which they were brought to the Tambaram police station for questioning.
Police identified the accused as Ravi Bharathi alias Vandu (21) from Chennai Central, Kumaresan (25) from Guduvanchery, Hariharan (25) from Krishnagiri district, and Munusamy (25) from Sriperumbudur.
During interrogation, the accused reportedly confessed that they had been involved in mobile phone snatching for over three years in and around the Tambaram bus stand and other crowded areas, specifically targeting elderly persons. Police said the stolen phones were sold, and the proceeds were shared equally among the four.
Investigators also stated that the accused had intensified their thefts to raise money to celebrate the New Year 2026 at a star hotel. A knife and the stolen mobile phone were recovered from their possession. All four were produced before a magistrate and remanded to judicial custody.
This comes days after multiple attacks on people across Tamil Nadu – be they residents or migrant workers.
Source: ETV Bharat
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