Man who sought money in the name of mayor held

COIMBATORE: City police arrested a man from Chennai on Saturday for impersonating city mayor S M Velusamy and asking AIADMK district treasurer Singai N Muthu over the telephone to send 25,000 to his bank account.
Muthu, president of Coimbatore District Marriage Hall Owners' Association, received a phone call from an unknown number on Friday. The caller introduced himself as Coimbatore corporation mayor Velusamy.
He told Muthu, a resident of Ramalakshmi Nagar at Peelamedu in the city, that AIADMK party supremo is set to campaign in Coimbatore soon and instructed him to transfer 25,000 to his bank account for election expenditure.
The ploy bombed because the caller didn't know that Muthu is district treasurer of AIADMK and a party colleague of Velusamy. "I am the president of Coimbatore district marriage hall owners' association and the conman took my mobile number from the website and called me. He demanded 25,000 in the name of Mayor S M Velusamy," said Muthu.
Muthu was on the way to Singanallur MLA's house at G V Residency at Uppilipalayam in the city on Friday for election discussion when he received the call from the conman. Based on his complaint, Singanallur police inspector S Elango registered a case. The conman's location was traced by the police on Saturday. Police said he has a bank account with State Bank of India at Tondiarpet in Chennai.
Immediately a special team was sent to Chennai, which detained him for interrogation. Police said that they would reveal further information on Sunday.