Date:14/11/2008 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2008/11/14/stories/2008111461020400.htm

Tamil Nadu

Five incidents of chain-snatching at temple festival

Special Correspondent

TAMBARAM: Five incidents of chain-snatching were reported during a temple festival in Selaiyur near Tambaram on Wednesday.

Police said a few thousand devotees had come to a temple where a pooja was being performed. Owing to a huge crowd of devotees, thieves had a free run, striking at will, targeting the elderly women.

Pattamal (75) of Rajaram Street in Chromepet, Meenakshi (55) of Venkateswara Nagar in Ambattur, Neela (78) of Chitlapakkam, Seetha (59) of Rajagopal Street in Ambattur and Kothai (65) of Thanjavur complained to the Selaiyur police late on Wednesday evening that their gold chains were snatched.

Police said the combined weight of the give gold chains was about 25 sovereigns. They added that special teams were formed to track down the culprits.