Close on the heels of the district police recently arresting three students on charges of snatching gold chains, the district police on Wednesday nabbed one more student of a polytechnic college on similar charge.
The accused has been identified as B. Naveen Kumar (19) of Pallavan Nagar in Anupanadi. He is also a student of the same polytechnic college from where two students and an alumnus were arrested for chain snatching. And he belonged to the same gang involved in many cases, the police said.
The youth, pursuing second year diploma course, has been charged of indulging in five cases of chain snatching in the Anna Nagar police station limits in the last three months. “He had been to Goa when his accomplices were arrested by the district police. He came to know about the arrest on return and switched off his mobile to avoid police tracing him down,” the Inspector of Police (Anna Nagar – Crime), P. Murugadasson, said.
A total of twenty seven and a half sovereigns of gold worth Rs. 5.50 lakh was recovered from him.
Like other fellows, he too had been lured by the easy money involving in chain snatching, the police said.
“His friend Ashok Kumar (who was arrested by the district police) used to boast about the free run he had (before his arrest) despite involved in many incidences of chain snatching.
Naveen Kumar was emboldened by Ashok Kumar’s strategy that striking aged women will be an easier and safer task, as those victims would not be able to provide proper identification of the accused to the police,” Mr. Murugadasson.
The Inspector said that women should be careful in choosing the road or lanes wearing deserted look and be watchful of strangers approaching them to avoid chain-snatching incidents. They should try to note down at least the make and number of the motorbike which will be helpful in investigation.
