The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : ‘Attention diversion’ gangs strike at two places

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Tuesday, Oct 07, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

‘Attention diversion’ gangs strike at two places

Staff Reporter

Snatch bags containing Rs. 8.64 lakh from two bank customers

HYDERABAD: Gangs involved in snatching money by diverting the attention of people struck at two places – Khairtabad and Secunderabad – grabbing Rs. 8.64 lakh from two persons during the day on Monday. In the first case, members of the gang distracted attention of Suresh Babu by throwing ‘dirt’ on his shirt.

Mr Babu of Tick Business Solutions Private Limited, which collects money pertaining to e-Seva transactions from different banks, withdrew Rs. 1.14 lakh from ING Vysya Bank at Khairatabad around noon. After parking his two-wheeler in the bank’s cellar, he proceeded to the ICICI Bank located a few yards away. He withdrew Rs. 6.5 lakh from that bank, kept the amount in a bag and headed for the cellar on foot. Barely had he walked a few yards, a stranger approached him and said some dirt had fallen on his shirt.

“Apparently members of an ‘attention diversion gang’ threw the dirt on his shirt. On seeing the dirt, Mr Babu stopped by a roadside sweet shop,” the Saifabad Inspector Sudarshan told reporters. Mr. Babu washed his shirt at the shop and was about to leave the place when the group of strangers surrounded him and lunged at him as if they were going to attack him. Mr. Babu tried to protect himself by jumping to a side and the in the process the cash bag fell on the ground. The robbers grabbed the bag and ran before he could realise that they were offenders.

Pharma employee

In the second incident, two motorbike-borne youths approached V.Chandrasekhar, a pharmaceutical company employee, at Secunderabad Clock Tower, stating that currency notes had fallen from his cash bag. He was returning to his car after withdrawing Rs 1 lakh from the ICICI Bank’s ATM centre. The youths grabbed the bag when Chandrasekhar turned to see if the currency notes fell from his bag.

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Andhra Pradesh