Hyderabad: The East Zone police cracked Saturday’s chain-snatching incident and arrested two persons on Sunday. The rider wore a helmet to cover his face and the pillion rider changed his dress but the police still managed to track them down within 24 hours. Along with the two accused, bike rider Harsha Joshi and pillion rider P. Manoj Kumar, police also arrested Thakur Ashwin Singh who had hatched the chain-snatching plot, police commissioner Anjani Kumar said. All of them were working as food delivery executives.
The victim, Ms B. Anasuya, 55, and her sister-in-law were returning home after visiting a temple in Nallakunta.
She told mediapersons, “When I was reached the Saibaba temple, they came on a bike from behind me, snatched the gold chain from my neck and fled into the narrow lanes. With a passerby’s help, I called Dial 100 and the patrol staff reached the spot in a few minutes. I lost hope of getting back the gold chain.”
Amberpet police registered a complaint and the East Zone police and formed special teams to nab the snatchers. The police commissioner said the teams scanned CCTV footage and tracked the two-wheeler.
“We could identify the pillion rider as he was not wearing a helmet or a mask. We enhanced the CCTV footage and sent the pictures to all police stations.” The police hit paid off when an alert constable, Amarnath, from the Malakpet police identified the pillion rider, later identified as P. Manoj Kumar, into custody.
When police questioned him, confessed and gave the location his accomplice.
Police then took bike rider Harsha Joshi into custody. They said Thakur Ashwin Singh hatched a plan and the police arrested him as well.
Mr Kumar said the assailants tried different methods to throw the police off the track, the rider wore a helmet and the duo used a two-wheeler without the registration number plate.
They took the narrow lanes where the pillion rider changed his dress.
“Prompt response from the police, use of technology and human intelligence played a significant role in nabbing the culprits,” Mr Kumar said.
He appealed to the public to instal CCTV cameras as part of ‘Nenu Saitham’ programme.
