Date:17/01/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/01/17/stories/2008011750310300.htm

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Three women arrested for chain-snatching

Staff Reporter

CHENNAI: Three women were arrested on charges of snatching gold chains from women devotees to temples. Police recovered the stolen jewellery valued at about Rs.1.50 lakh.

A release issued on Monday said that following complaints of chain-snatching at the Marundeeswarar Temple in Thiruvanmiyur a few days ago, Deputy Commissioner of Police (Adyar) S. N. Seshasai formed a special team.

On a tip-off, the police picked up three women who were moving around in a suspicious manner near a temple here.

Based on their confessions, the team found that the women had snatched gold chains from devotees at a festival held recently in the Marundeeswarar Temple and recovered jewellery worth Rs.1.50 lakh.

The names of the accused were given as Jothi (27), Latha (35) and Illavarasi (24) of Tiruvannamalai district.

It also came to light that the trio had indulged in similar offences at Tambaram and Chengalpattu, where cases are pending in the respective police stations, the release said.