A chain-snatch every 20 min puts cops on tenterhooks

​Hyderabad: The Hyderabad police have got their act together after two chain snatchers created a scare with a series of crimes in LB Nagar in the city during the last 24 hours.

Rachakonda Police Commissioner Mahesh M Bhagwat, who took a serious view of the chain-snatching incidents, constituted eight teams to apprehend the culprits. He took the matter seriously and intensified checks at entry points on the outskirts, Shamshabad airport, railway stations and bus stations to apprehend the offenders.

In the early hours of Thursday, the CP inspected various colonies in the LB Nagar zone and reviewed the situation with the policemen deployed to arrest the chain snatchers. Based on the CCTV footage and information from the police in the neighbouring states, the police suspect the hand of the two chain snatchers and habitual offenders were part of the Irani gang from Uttar Pradesh.

The two chain snatchers in a matter of 15 hours committed nine snatches since Wednesday night. Till now, they have looted 30 to 40 tulas of gold from the victims in five police station limits of Meerpet, Hayathnagar, Vanasthalipuram, Chaitanyapuri and Saroor Nagar in the LB Nagar zone.

Under the Meerpet police station limits at Teachers colony, they targeted an old woman, Manemma, and snatched 3.5 tola chain. Later they reached LB Nagar within 10 minutes and made another snatching at Anupama Nagar from one |
K Padmavathi and snatched 3 tula chain.

Later, they did another snatching at LB Nagar attacking a woman, who was walking on the road margin and took away 3 tula chain. Thereafter, the accused reached Vanasthalipuram in 20 minutes and did two more snatchings. Every 20 minutes, they have committed a chain snatching.

On Thursday morning between 7:30 am and 8:30 am, they have resorted to four snatchings. At 7 am, they took away from U Jayamma at RajiReddy Nagar in Vanasthalipuram PS limits a 6 tula chain, at 7:20 am at NGO’s colony they snatched 3.5 tula chain from Bhaskara Lakshmi. On the national highway at Hayathnagar, they snatched a 4 tula chain from one Reshma Reddy while she was parking her scooty to buy sweaters.

Interestingly, the Irani gang members are high profile chain snatchers and they move in flights. In the case of the recent chain snatching incidents, the culprits are understood to have arrived in Hyderabad by flight stole a bike and then resorted to chain snatching.

After committing the offences, they leave the bike somewhere in the city and board another flight and disappear. This, the police said, to avoid being caught by the police. The motive for the thefts is to lead a lavish life. In view of the new year celebrations, the offenders once again have begun targeting women on the outskirts.

This time, they not only targeted desolate areas but also crowded squares even though they face the danger of being caught by the public and the police. When chain-snatching incidents were reported on Wednesday, the police had thought the culprits may have scrammed. But they were surprised when they continued committing offences on Thursday morning.