HYDERABAD: A helmet can save your life is what traffic police always say. But in case of chain-snatcher Pallapu Venkatesh, his helmet landed him in the police net. Cab driver-turned-chain-snatcher Venkatesh, who was arrested recently, often used a helmet to conceal his identity.
He would target women who ran kirana stores. He would park his bike at a distance and approach them asking for milk or sugar, all this while wearing a helmet. As the female shopkeepers approached him, he would snatch their chains and flee. Venkatesh was arrested when a farmer identified him at Pochampally of Yadadri Bhongir district. The farmer told police about a man moving about suspiciously in a helmet. Police arrested Venkatesh and found stolen property worth Rs 2.50 lakh in his possession.
Inquiries revealed that Venkatesh’s wife was pregnant with their first child. His earnings as a cab driver had fallen drastically in the last two years. To meet his wife’s medical expenses, he chose robbery as his option. He struck “gold” quite literally at Medipally when he stole some chains from unsuspecting women. During these offences, he was captured on CCTV cameras. The footage went viral on social media.It was found that Venkatesh always wore a helmet even when not riding a bike, and his walking style was distinctive. The farmer matched his physical features with those in the video being circulated.