Bengaluru chain-snatching cases put street crime back into focus

Minors, repeat offenders among those held

One of the recent cases also brought minors and repeat offending into focus. On August 12, the Peenya police station arrested two accused for allegedly stealing two-wheelers and subsequently carrying out chain-snatchings. The two targeted 39-year-old milk vendor Vijayamma in Doddabidarakallu near Nagasandra.

Vijayamma was walking towards her Nandini milk shop near the Panchamukhi Ganesha Temple at around 5.15 am when the duo allegedly followed her on a motorcycle. The pillion rider allegedly snatched her 15-gram gold mangalsutra, valued at around Rs 1.2 lakh. She tried to resist but fell and sustained injuries.

The police said the two had allegedly stolen around eight two-wheelers while they were minors and had been sent to a remand home on three occasions. The police are also checking whether they are involved in other chain-snatching cases.

Additionally, officers said chain-snatching cases were also registered in Yelahanka New Town and Sampigehalli police stations.

In the Yelahanka New Town case, the police arrested a man who allegedly said he had lost his livelihood and was left with nothing, citing financial desperation as his reason for committing the offence.

In the Sampigehalli case, two accused from Kalaburagi had allegedly come to Bengaluru to carry out the chain snatching and were traced within four days while attempting to flee back to Kalaburagi. The police arrested them and found that they had previous criminal cases.

Festive crowds offer cover

The recent festive shopping rush has provided another setting for chain-snatching.

On August 18, an Ayurvedic doctor lost a 29-gram gold chain worth more than Rs 4 lakh while shopping at KR Market ahead of the Varamahalakshmi festival.

The victim told the police that the area was heavily crowded and she could not immediately make out how the chain had been taken. The police suspect that more than one person could have been involved and are investigating the possibility of a gang operating in the area.

The police said the particular lane where the incident occurred did not have CCTV coverage and the heavy movement of people in surrounding areas made it difficult to identify the suspects.

Railway tracks become escape route

The railway police have also arrested an accused in a recent chain-snatching case involving women passengers.

On August 21, the Bengaluru railway police arrested a 26-year-old man accused of targeting women at Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal. The police said he targeted those sitting near train windows or standing close to doors.

They added that the accused would position himself near train doors, snatch chains when trains slowed while changing tracks, and flee along the railway tracks. The police recovered around 91 grams of stolen gold jewellery and linked him to three chain-snatching cases.

Railway officials said they have solved nearly 10 such cases in August around Majestic, Cantonment railway station and Sir M Visvesvaraya Terminal, with several of those arrested having previous cases against them.

In the outskirts of Bengaluru, Jayanth alias Battery Jayanth, who was allegedly involved in a chain-snatching case, was found dead in a lake at Govenahalli near Nelamangala on August 24 after allegedly escaping from an ambulance while being taken to hospital. The police said Jayanth was involved in around 25 cases of chain-snatching and other offences.

Gold prices and visibility of cases

Senior police officers said the high value of gold could also be one of the factors making gold chains an attractive target for offenders. At the same time, they said the number of cases appearing in the public domain this month may have created a perception of a sudden increase.

“Several cases have been reported, and CCTV footage from some of the incidents has also gone viral and received media attention. This can create a perception that there has been a sudden increase in chain-snatching cases. There is no such surge,” a senior police officer said.