Chennai man’s CCTV alert from Netherlands helps police catch burglars red-handed

Chennai police catch suspects red-handed stealing from a house thanks to CCTV alert from vacationing residents.

The Chennai police caught two persons red-handed as they were allegedly attempting to escape with goods stolen from an unoccupied house in West Mambalam in the early hours of Monday (April 7, 2025). What helped the police arrest the suspects was a call from the residents of the house, who are on vacation in the Netherlands, after they received an ‘intruder alert’ from the CCTV system installed in the house.

R. Venkataramanan, 58, an IT firm consultant, resides with his wife on Srinivasa Pillai Street in West Mambalam. The couple had locked up their home and left for the Netherlands on Friday (April 4) to visit their daughter.

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At 1.30 a.m. on Monday, Mr. Venkataramanan received an alert on his mobile phone, via the CCTV system, that there were intruders in their West Mambalam house. He immediately alerted his neighbour Venkatasubramanian, and both of them informed the police control room. The control room staff then alerted a patrolling team that was on duty in the neighbourhood at the time.

When Assistant Commissioner of Police Surender and his team arrived at the spot, the two suspects, hearing movement, attempted to jump over the compound wall. However, they were caught by the police personnel.

The Ashok Nagar police arrested the two suspects, who have been identified as D. Kamalakannan, 65, of Pallavaram and Philip alias Arif Philip, 57, of Tirupattur.

The duo had also broken open the locks of an office belonging to an auditor the previous night. The police recovered gold jewellery, silver articles, Indian and U.S. currency bills, and five metal statues from them.