CHENNAI: Aday after the cell phone robbery at Virugambakkam, what has come as worrying is that three students were involved in this shocking crime. The police said they arrested all three on Tuesday — one of them is a class 12 student, and the other two are undergraduate college students.
The robbery happened on Sunday at 7 pm when Jayapandi was at Majestic Colony. One among the three got off at the beginning of the street while the other two approached Jayapandi in the pretext of asking for directions. Jayapandi was responding to them when the pillion rider snatched his cell phone and sped on the bike. Jayapandi managed to get hold of the scooter, but he was dragged for several metres. The third accomplice joined the other two soon after.
The CCTV footage of the incident caused much shock. Using the footage, the police traced and arrested the trio on Wednesday near a cinema theatre. One of them is identified as Siva. Two others are minors. Police said that the youth wanted money to buy booze and decided to target people to rob cell phones after they returned from their classes. All three are friends residing in the same locality.
“This is the first time, they were involved in such a crime. But, two months ago, the Valasarvakkam police inspector who was on night rounds found the boys riding on a scooty in an inebriated condition. The trio was stopped and let off with a warning. On Monday, the boys used the same vehicle to rob the cell phone,” said a police officer involved in the investigations.
Last week, similarly two juvenile girls were caught by the public when they snatched a mobile phone from a man near Periyamet. “Juveniles get access to liquor even though it is illegal to sell it to them. It’s either curiosity or overexposure that leads youngsters to take up drugs,” said a staff with the District Child Protection Officer, Chennai, suggesting the reasons behind youth resorting to crimes.
Quick bucks
Of the three arrested, one is a class 12 student, and the other two are undergraduate college students. Police said that the youth wanted money to buy booze and decided to target people to rob cell phones after they returned from their classes. All three are friends residing in the same locality.