An employee of a gold jewellery shop in Elephant Gate who allegedly went on the run with ₹65 lakh cash has been arrested along with his accomplice.

The police said Nikhalchand Jain, 51, of Perambur Barracks Road, runs a gold and silver jewellery shop on NSC Bose Road. On May 6, he allegedly instructed his employee Naveen, who was working in the shop for around four years, to collect 26 kg of silver bars from his brother-in-law and hand them over to a person named Dileep at Mint Street, and then collect ₹65 lakh in return.

According to the complaint, Naveen collected the silver bars, handed them to Dileep, received ₹65 lakh cash, and switched off his mobile phone and went on the run with the money.

Based on a complaint lodged by Nikhalchand Jain, Elephant Gate Police Station Crime Wing launched an investigation. The police conducted an investigation and traced Naveen, 28, and arrested him in Ooty. The police recovered ₹20,990 and a mobile phone from him.

During interrogation, the police found that Naveen had allegedly conspired with a transperson, Pradeep Kumar alias Prarthana, whom he had recently befriended. Naveen allegedly handed over ₹63 lakh to Prarthana in Chennai and took the remaining ₹2 lakh with him to Ooty, where he purchased a new mobile phone, clothes, and stayed at a lodge.

Following this, police arrested Prarthana, 19, from a house in Moolakothalam. The police recovered ₹53,23,830 belonging to the complainant from the accused.