Date:01/12/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/12/01/stories/2006120106790300.htm

Andhra Pradesh - Anantapur

Members of chain snatcher gang held

Staff Reporter

Gold worth Rs. 5.85 lakhs recovered

ANANTAPUR: The Anantapur town police on Thursday arrested a five-member gang of chain snatchers and recovered about 650 grams of gold chains worth about Rs. 5.85 lakhs. All the members of the gang are students pursuing degree courses at present and all the snatchings were committed during the last six months in the district headquarters town.

Giving the details to newspersons here, Anantapur DSP G.S. Karunakar stated that the arrested members of the gang were Raghavendra Babu alies Raghu (23), Anil Kumar (21), Yellappa alias Jani (22), all from Anantapur, and Sudarshan Reddy (23) of Kottalapalli in Yadiki mandal and Kumar (20) of Tallamarla in Kothacheruvu mandal.

Inspired by films

Inspired by chain-snatching incidents shown on television, films and newspaper reports Raghu of Sainagar had chosen the path for easy earning to spend lavishly like most of his friends. Accordingly, he snatched a chain from a woman in housing board colony on May 6 this year and sped away on his motorbike.

Later, he gathered the remaining four students and formed a gang after convincing them that it was an easy way for money making and started chain snatching from lone women during morning walks and afternoon times. The gang committed 20 snatching incidents during the last six months. The police had recovered 19 chains of women and one of children.

The DSP complimented Circle Inspectors John Manohar and Parameshwar Reddy, Sub-Inspectors Prasad Reddy, Shubhakumar and Mallikarjuna and their team of constables for nabbing the gang.