Jobless Lovers Turn To Chain Snatching, Arrested
A couple from Andhra Pradesh was arrested in Hyderabad for allegedly snatching a 30-gram gold chain from a 66-year-old woman near a temple.
A young couple who resorted to chain snatching after failing to find jobs in Hyderabad were arrested by Vanasthalipuram police on Wednesday. The duo had moved to the city from Andhra Pradesh about a month ago in search of employment and turned to crime to earn money for their marriage.
The accused, Annapu Reddy Durga Ramana Reddy, 23, and Tenka Varalaxmi, 24, are lovers who had been in a relationship for some time and were living together in Gurramguda. Both are first‑time offenders, with no previous criminal cases registered against them, police said. They have been remanded to judicial custody.
The incident occurred around 6.04 am on Sunday, when the 66‑year‑old victim, Andugula Ramulamma, was cleaning the Raja Rajeshwari Temple at Venkata Ramana Colony in Hasthinapuram. The accused targeted her while she was alone and snatched her gold pusthelathadu weighing about 30 grams.
According to police, Varalaxmi caught hold of the woman and covered her mouth while Ramana Reddy forcibly removed the ornament from her neck. The duo then fled on an Activa scooter.
Police said the couple had been struggling to secure employment after arriving in Hyderabad and decided to snatch gold ornaments to make money. They were apprehended near a jewellery shop in Kamala Nagar, Vanasthalipuram, on Wednesday.
Police recovered the stolen ornament and two mobile phones belonging to the accused during the operation. The arrests were made under the supervision of Malkajgiri commissioner of police B. Sumathi and LB Nagar Zone DCP B. Anuradha.
The accused were sent to judicial remand and the investigation is continuing.
