Lured by lucre, dropouts take to chain-snatching in Bangalore

Three youth hit upon an idea to lead a lavish life and ended up in jail, police said on Thursday.

Announcing the arrests of the trio, police said they opted to snatch gold chains from women walking alone on isolated stretches. Eight cases of chain snatching have been solved with these arrests, and gold ornaments worth Rs6 lakh recovered. 

The accused, Mutturaju alias Mutta alias Peelu and Ningaraja alias Ninga, both aged 23, were college dropouts, while the third man, Gangadhara alias Goosa, 21, discontinued school while he was in the ninth standard. The three were residents Yadamaranahalli village in Ramanagara district’s Kanakapura taluk.

Mutturaju dropped out while he was a student of first year BBM, and Ningaraja studied up to BCom second year.

The men ganged up after discontinuing education, and decided to snatch chains after their parents had refused them pocket money.

Police said the trio targeted women walking on isolated stretches. The ill-gotten gold chains were pawned at Ramanagara, and they spent the money on gambling and alcohol, as also other activities.

The accused persons used different motorcycles — borrowed from their friends — to snatch chains so that they could evade identification and arrest.

Police said the men had struck at Rajarajeshwarinagar Channasandra, Kengeri, Kengeri Satellite Town, Bidadi, Talagattapura and Jattipalya.

The accused had a narrow escape from Kengeri, when passersby chased them for about 3 km.