Notorious chain snatcher arrested in Visakhapatnam

Accused used to target lonely women under the Steel Plant Police Station limits, say police

In a major relief for the residents of Ukkunagaram, the city police (Crime Wing) arrested the 30-year-old youth on Tuesday, who has allegedly committed a series of chain snatchings at various sectors of the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant quarters in Ukkunagaram by targeting lonely women under the Steel Plant Police Station limits, for the past one month.

The arrested was identified as R. Adinarayana alias Ashok (30), a resident of Akkireddipalem, Gajuwaka. The police have recovered eight tolas of gold ornaments worth ₹4.8 lakh and a knife from the accused.

Addressing a press conference here on Tuesday, Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crimes) D. Gangadharam said that on May 23, at around 8 p.m., the accused Adinarayana allegedly confronted a woman at Sector-V, who was returning home from a temple on foot. He allegedly threatened the woman using a knife. When she raised alarm, the accused reportedly inflicted injuries on her hand and snatched away the three-tola gold chain that she was wearing. DGM (Operations) GV Manohar Reddy, who was also walking, tried to catch the accused. The DGM was allegedly stabbed by the chain snatcher. However, some of the locals caught the accused and handed him over to police.

‘Three offences’

According to the police, Adinarayana committed the first chain snatching on April 26 at Sector X, where he snatched a three-tola gold chain from a woman. Again on May 17, he allegedly snatched a two- tola gold chain from another woman walker at Sector X. The chain snatching offence on Monday was his third one in the row within a span of two months, the ADCP said.

In all the cases, the accused has targeted lonely women, where he threatened or attacked them by using a knife or a fake pistol before snatching away the gold ornaments. He would park his motorbike at a distance and pose as a walker before approaching the lonely woman. After committing crime he would fled on his motorbike, said the ADCP.

Apart from invoking relevant sections for chain snatchings, the police have also booked cases under relevant section of attempt to murder.

‘Contract worker’

The ADCP said that the accused is contract worker in a firm at AMTZ (AP Medtech Zone). His mother, who used to run a chit-fund business, suffered losses and the family was under pressure to clear the debts. In order to sort out financial issues, the accused had chosen the wrong path of committing chain snatchings, he said.

The police also said that after deciding to commit the offences, the accused had watched chain snatching videos in the social media. He also bought a toy pistol and a knife from online e-commerce sites for the purpose.

Inspector of Crime (South Sub-divison) P. Surya Narayana and other officers were present in the press conference.