CHENNAI: CCTV footages that surfaced on Sunday laid bare the horrors of chain snatching robberies that target women walking on the city's streets.
Both the robberies took place in daylight in residential areas in the last two days and the women were dragged on road as they struggled to save their jewellery
S Menaka, a 37-year-old resident of Washermenpet, was walking at Valluvar Nagar, Veena Garden at Arumbakkam around 7.30 am when a pillion rider in motorbike suddenly pulled the 13-sov gold chain she
was wearing. As Menaka fell on the road, the robber, who was holding her chain, dragged her for nearly 10 seconds on the road. Koyambedu police said the duo managed to escape from the spot with the loot and
as on Sunday evening they are yet to identify the robbers.
Menaka is said to have suffered injuries on legs and hands and was treated in a nearby private hospital. She had come to Arumbakkam to attend a wedding.
Almost a similar robbery took place the previous evening around 5.15 pm at Ragavendra Nagar, Kundrathur when A Jayashree was walking towards her home with her husband.
The series of CCTV footages from cameras as different angles showed how the robbers waited in a motorbike and one of them, appeared to be in 20s, casually walked to the victim and pulled the gold chain she was wearing.
As Jayashree tumbled and fell on the road and before her husband Ashok Kumar could do anything, the robber managed to reach his friend waiting in a bike nearby and sped away from the spot. The locals residents could only watch the robbery.
Jayashree was 57 years old and Ashok Kumar was a retired medical salesperson. Kundrathur police have registered a case and are investigating.
According to the city police's data 616 cases of chain snatchings and 520 cases of mobile snatching were reported in the city in 2017. This means on average daily three robberies are being reported on the
city's street.