Three persons, including two employees of the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital, were arrested by GH police on charges of cheating women patients of their gold jewellery. Gold ornaments weighing over 40 sovereigns were recovered.
Police sources said Shanti (45) of Kilpauk would befriend patients coming alone to the hospital. She would slip away with jewellery, cash and other belongings of patients after promising to safeguard the items while they went for an X-ray or scan.
Shanti operated in the hospital for the last four years and is suspected to have stolen over 150 sovereigns from patients. Her accomplices Thiyagu (37) of Vyasarpadi and Surya (25) of Chitlapakkam, who are employees on contract at GH, would alert Shanti when they came across a patient who could be conned, sources added.
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The trio were remanded to custody and sent to Puzhal prison.