Bengaluru: While the city police are observing crime prevention month, a spate of daylight chain snatching incidents in the last three days have sent them into a tizzy.
On late Wednesday night, seven more women were robbed by the armed bike-borne duo. The city has registered over 16 cases of chain snatching in past three days.
The police top brass held a meeting on Wednesday and decided to step up measures such as increased patrolling, erecting check-posts and search suspicious vehicles to curb the menace. Two special teams have been formed to nab the chain snatchers.
“There has been an increase in chain snatching incidents in the city. On Wednesday alone the west division police registered over seven cases, out of which four were reported in Jnanabharathi police station limits and one in Chandra Layout. They have been committed by the same gang,” said DCP (West), Labhu Ram.
He further added, “The police have some clues on those behind these incidents, based on the witness accounts and CCTV footage, but they have not been arrested so far. Police suspect the involvement of a gang behind chain snatching incidents. The police are verifying their details.”
The same gang after creating havoc in West Division have reportedly moved towards South Division, where two cases of chain snatching were later reported.
On Wednesday, two bike borne men, aged around 25 years, attacked and robbed four women in different incidents. Gold chains worth totally worth around Rs 5 lakh were robbed in Jnanbharthi police station limits.
The duo snatched 20 grams gold chain from Vidya Navaratna, while she was walking near her house in Nagarabhavi on Wednesday. Few minutes later they waylaid Swarnalatha, another homemaker and robbed 45 grams of gold chain.
Swarnalatha was returning from a nearby shop in Coconut Garden in Nagarabhavi. Another woman, Sunanda, was also robbed in similar fashion in Ramakrishna extension.
In another incident in Chandra Layout, Lalitha Bai (52) was robbed of her gold chain, weighing 39 grams, while she was returning home around 8 pm after buying vegetables from a nearby market.
Two bike-borne men intercepted her on 7th main in Chandra Layout and managed to snatch away her chain. Chandra Layout police have registered a case.
2 cases in South Division
The same evening, two bike-borne men robbed a 50-year-old woman of her gold chain, weighing 25 grams, in C.K Achchukattu police station limits.
The victim, identified as Yashodha, was standing near her house along with her grandson when the incident happened. A bike borne duo came from behind and snatched away her chain. C.K Achchukattu police have registered a case.
In a similar fashion, a 55 year old resident of Girinagar near Raghavendra Swamy Mutt was robbed of her gold chain, weighing 60 grams, by two bike-borne men. The incident was reported around 7.30 pm.
