KOCHI: Recently, an old woman became victim of bike-borne chain snatchers at Tripunithura as she was walking on a by-lane road. Police said CCTV visuals showed the accused following the woman for some time before snatching the chain and fleeing the spot. Back-to-back incidents of chain snatching have forced the city police to up vigil by devising special schemes for monitoring. They have also exhorted people to stay alert while on roads.
“Three chain snatching incidents have been reported in the city in the last few months and the one reported in Tripunithura is the latest. We have been able to nab the accused in the first two cases and the accused in the third one will also be nabbed. We have upped vigil to prevent such incidents,” said City Police Commissioner Nagaraju Chakilam.
Police officers said that as part of stepping up monitoring, special squads have been deployed in mufti to keep an eye on two-wheeler riders and teams will also be conducting two-wheeler checks randomly at different spots in the city. Police fear that pandemic-induced economic crisis will trigger more chain snatching incidents and want public to stay alert to prevent such incidents.
“Chain snatchers generally target middle-aged and elderly women wearing heavy gold jewellery as young generation nowadays avoids gold jewellery. People are requested not to flaunt their gold jewellery in public and should be careful while walking on the road at early hours in the morning. Chain snatching incidents are taking place on arterial roads that are easily connected to highways and main roads,” said another senior police officer.