Chain-snatchers continue to embarrass police

In further embarrassment to the police, chain-snatchers struck at six different localities of the City in just over seven hours on Thursday, relieving four women of their gold jewellery. Two other victims foiled the snatchers’ attempt and held onto their gold chains.

The police merely said they would intensify patrolling and appealed to women not to wear gold jewellery. Just on Wednesday, seven women had reported losing gold chains. Thursday’s first chain-snatching was reported around 6.15 am at Jakkasandra 1st Block in Koramangala. Anusuyamma, the victim, said she was walking to her home after buying milk when two young men rode up a bike to her and snatched her 24-gram gold chain.

Just half an hour later, an elderly woman in Yelahanka Old Town was targeted by two bike-borne snatchers. Girijamma was walking to a grocer’s near her house at Vokkkaligara Beedhi to buy milk when the suspects waylaid her. They first looked around to make sure nobody was watching. Then, they snatched the woman’s 80-gram mangalsutra. The victim shouted for help but in vain.

Usha Nair, 66, a resident of Ayyappa Nagar in KR Puram, almost became the third victim around 7.30 am. But quick thinking and sharp reflexes ensured she saved her gold chain. One of the snatchers riding pillion on a bike thrust his hands at her neck but she didn’t let go of her chain.

She kept shouting for help at the same time, distracting the snatchers and forcing them to speed off.

Maria, 76, a resident of Srinivasanagar in Hanumanthanagar, wasn’t so lucky. While she was walking to a post office along with her daughter, Jeniffer, two men rode on a motorcycle around 10.35 am. The pillion rider snatched Maria’s 40-gram gold chain and his accomplice quickly accelerated. The mother and daughter raised an alarm and a few passersby did try to chase the duo, but it was too late.

In another failed attempt, an unidentified young man tried to snatch a gold chain from a woman shopkeeper at Annaiah Layout in Subramanyapura around 12.30 pm. The man asked for a pack of biscuits and just as Sunitha, the shopkeeper, got up to fetch it from a shelf, he lunged at her from behind and tried to snatch the chain. But Sunitha raised an alarm and the youth ran away.

Vani, 44, was the fourth woman to lose a gold chain. She was walking back home after attending music classes around 1.30 pm when two men riding a two-wheeler approached her at BHS Layout in Subramanyapura, in the garb of enquiring about an address. Even as Vani tried to oblige them, the duo snatched her two gold chains — of 40 and 30 grams — and zipped away.

Intensified patrolling
A senior police officer said that most chain-snatchings occurred in early mornings, afternoon and late evenings.

“We will intensify patrolling during these hours. We are also making announcements asking women to remain alert and not to wear jewellery when they leave home alone.”