KOCHI: Udayamperoor residents on Monday caught hold of a youth who snatched a gold chain from a woman, and handed him over to the police. Police sources say the woman was on her way home by foot near Maanthaaty Vishnu temple, when the accused Sreekumar, 26, stopped by, asking for directions to Kochi.
“As she started explaining, Sreekumar snatched the gold chain, weighing two-and-a-half sovereign, but the woman pulled him off his bike before he could flee. The accused then started attacking her, upon which she screamed and alerted the locals, who chased and overpowered him,” police said.The police suspect that the accused has been involved in similar offences in the past. The woman, who suffered minor injuries was taken to a hospital. He would be produced before a Judicial First Class Magistrate court on Tuesday.
Incidents involving chain-snatching youths on bikes are being reported at regular intervals, and in most cases, the tactics used are similar, the police said.