Hoping to get easy money to match the lifestyle of their wealthy friends, two college students attempted to snatch a gold chain from a woman at Anna Nagar on Friday night but one of them was caught by a police constable. The other one was arrested soon after. Police claimed that the duo had done research on roads in major areas and narrowed in on Anna Nagar due to its wider roads, which would give them a chance to flee.
Police said Gayathri, a resident of R Block in Anna Nagar, who worked as a receptionist at a private hospital, was walking past Makaliamman Temple on 6th Main Road in Anna Nagar when a youth tried to snatch her chain around 9.45 pm. However, Gayathri held on to it and raised an alarm. Fortunately for her, Balamurugan, a constable attached to Anna Nagar Police station arrived in the area on his two-wheeler for his routine beat. Balamurugan nabbed the culprit after a short chase but his accomplice, who was on a motorcycle, managed to speed away.
The accused, identified as Hariharan (19), a third-year BCA student from a city college, had come to Anna Nagar to snatch a chain along with friend Deepak Singh (19) a third-year BE (computer science) student at a private engineering college in Tiruvallur.
Police claimed that the duo had extensively scanned lanes in Purasaiwakkam and Nungambakkam but the roads there were narrow, straight and congested for them to make an easy getaway. Therefore, they settled on Anna Nagar as its roads were wider.
Police used Hariharan to lure Deepak, by asking him call his friend on the phone. Clearly under duress, Hariharan claimed on the phone that he had been let off after only a stringent warning, and asked Deepak to pick him up from Anna Arch at midnight. When he arrived, Deepak was arrested by a team led by inspectors P Gangeswaran and Surendiran.
Searches revealed that Deepak had in his possession, ganja rolled in a smoking paper. He told police that he got ganja from friends.
Speaking to Express, Gangeswaran said that the duo appeared to be first-time offenders.