Three men, including a chief accounts official at a photo studio chain in Chennai, were arrested for swindling Rs 20 crore through fake bills

CHENNAI: The Central Crime Branch (CCB) of the city police has arrested three men, including the chief accounts official of a photo studio colour lab, for embezzling Rs 20 crore through fake bills and receipts. The accused have been remanded to Puzhal prison.
Police said the trio had been employed at the head office of a well-known photo studio chain in Chennai, which has operated for over three decades and has 52 branches across Tamil Nadu, including Coimbatore. The fraud came to light after the firm commissioned an internal audit.
Following an investigation, Dheena Colour Lab Studio Manager Jayavel, from Chennai, lodged a complaint, leading the Entrustment Document Fraud (EDF) wing, under Inspector P.C. Sivakumar, to probe the case.
Preliminary inquiries revealed that the accused manipulated financial records and diverted funds into their personal bank accounts. The police arrested M. Gopalakrishnan (40) of Chinmaya Nagar, K. Gautham (30) of Coimbatore, and P. Krishnamurthy (42) of Keezhkatalai in connection with the case.
Authorities recovered 524 grams of gold jewellery worth Rs 40 lakh, a luxury car valued at Rs 30 lakh, and property documents worth Rs 30 lakh from the suspects.
The arrested trio were produced before a magistrate court and remanded in judicial custody.