BANGALORE: Chain-Snatching incidents have shot up in the city, prompting police commissioner, Shankar Bidari to release a book with the details of chain-snatchers. Little would he have known then, that he would have to see this shameful day: of putting the picture of a policeman as one of the chain-snatchers.
The bright aspect to this disgraceful tale was that a 24-year-old student Bhavya, decided that she will not be a hapless victim and emerged as the hero in the end.
She chased down the policeman-turned-thief, with the help of some locals, succeeding in nabbing him and then getting him suspended too. This magnificent rolereversal where a victim turned in a policeman caught the eye of Bidari, who showed his appreciation with a reward of Rs 5,000 and also an offer of a job with the police department. And not any job, mind you, on offer is the post of the Sub-Inspector. Bhavya is a fourth semester student of Master of Social Work in Bangalore University.
Bhavya said, “On Thursday, I had gone to visit my parents at Kamakshipalya. My husband Vasu N joined me and the two of us were returning home around 11:30 pm. My husband was driving the car and I was following him on my two-wheeler. Suddenly I felt as though someone was following me on a two-wheeler. This person then snatched my chain and overtook me.” Bhavya chased the man on the bike up to Sharada Colony, Karekal, which is a dead-end. “I screamed for help while I was chasing him. At the dead-end several locals had assembled, who helped me nab the accused,” added Bhavya.
Unaware that the person she had nabbed was a police personnel, Bhavya immediately informed her husband who rushed to the spot along with the Kamakshipalya police. When the accused, Gangaraju, heard this he flashed his police I-D card. Bhavya said, “He threatened me not to inform the police, but I did so.” Gangaraju is a police constable from the Jnanabharathi police station. Inspector of Kamakshipalya MH Ramachandraiah said, “Ganagaraju was in an inebriated state when he was brought to the police station. We have interrogated him, but so far he hasn’t revealed his involvement in any chain snatching incidents earlier.
On Bidari’s offer to take up a job, Bhavya said, “I will definitely keep this in mind when I complete my studies and will consider joining the police force.”