Bengaluru: Chain-snatcher with over 70 cases held after shootout

BENGALURU: A chain-snatcher was shot at and injured by the police after he tried to attack one of the constables with lethal weapons on Monday morning. The accused, Achuth Kumar Gani, 31, a resident of Kumbalgodu, was involved in over 70 chain-snatching cases in the city, the police said.  On Sunday night, head constable Chandrakumar, who is attached to Jnanabharathi police and a special team constituted to contain the menace of chain-snatching, noticed a biker moving around suspiciously and started tailing him. After a distance, the policeman crashed his bike into the suspect’s vehicle and made him fall on the ground. When he tried to catch the accused, he was attacked by a knife.

Chandrakumar immediately alerted the police for a backup, who chased and arrested the accused. During the interrogation at the Jnanabharathi police station, the accused confessed that he was involved in over 70 cases of chain-snatching. The police decided to take him to Kumbalgodu for further investigation. While on their way, around 2.30 am, Achuth requested for a break to relieve himself. But when the police let him go, he escaped.

But around 5.45 am, the Kengeri police spotted him at Banashankri 6th Stage. ASI Veerabadraiah tried to catch him, but he attacked the police officer with a lethal weapon and tried to escape. To defend himself, Veerabhadraiah opened fire at Achuth and arrested him.   After a spurt in  chain-snatching incidents in the city, Police Commissioner T. Suneel Kumar had formed a special team, led by DCP (West) Ravi D. Channannavar, to bring crimes down.