Chain snatchers work on the modus operandi of surprise and speed. They catch the victim off guard, steal gold jewellery and quickly flee on their bikes. Sometimes, the victim is able to fend off the robbery with quick thinking but at other times, it is not possible to do so. Such was the case with an elderly woman residing in the capital.
On Saturday, Prakashi, a 60-year-old woman from Delhi was at her cousin’s house when two men pretended to be injured and asked for her help. Later, under the guise of touching her feet to thank her for her hospitality, they snatched her gold chain and fled.
The Indian Express quoted the woman saying,
“I was sitting on a cot with my cousin. One of them told us he had injured his hand and asked for some turmeric. I went inside and fetched it. The man applied the powder on his fingers, thanked me, and got on the bike. The other man came towards me and touched my feet — before shoving me and snatching my chain. The duo then fled on the bike.”
The victim informed the police on Sunday who arrested two men named Nazim and Akram. A case under IPC sections 392 and 34 has been filed at Jyoti Nagar police station.
Hindustan Times quoted Deputy Commissioner of police (north-east) Ved Prakash Surya saying,
“We recovered five gold chains including the one allegedly snatched from the elderly woman in Ashok Nagar. The men were also found to be carrying a pistol and three bullets.”
Seems like the only way to avoid such incidents is to stay alert and verify before trusting strangers.