Public nab chain-snatchers

Chennai: Rajkumar, a 31-year-old roadside vendor, is their hero. Despite being physically challenged, he helped overpower two chain-snatchers who attempted to escape after trying to snatch a chain from a woman after pushing her and her daughter from their two-wheeler in Purusawalkam on Tuesday night. Shrugging off the incident, saying that it was the most natural thing to do, Rajkumar says: “I can’t just stand and watch such things. The woman and her daughter were crying for help while three youths were escaping from the scene. So, I got into my Activa (converted into a four-wheeler) and chased and caught them with the help of other people.”

Not very comfortable with all the publicity generated over his action and refusing to be photographed, he says: “I'm not scared of repercussions. I just want to continue with my roadside business and don’t want a big deal made of this.”Two of the three youths who tried to escape after their failed attempt at chain-snatching were caught by Rajkumar with help from other members of the public.
The woman two-wheeler rider, Senthamarai, was returning home after picking up her 8-year-old daughter Sandhya from tuition class when the incident too place around 9.30 pm.

Three youths were following them on a bike. On of the two pillion-riders tried to snatching her six-sovereign chain. Senthamarai was not ready to let go that easily. As she tried to resist the snatching attempt, she lost control of the vehicle. In the process she and Sandhya fell on the road. The culprits stopped their bike, assaulted Senthamarai and tried to take away the chain. “Seeing this, my daughter shouted for help. When people started gathering around, the three got on their bike and started to move. But it stopped due to lack of petrol.

They then started running and that is when Rajkumar, a physically challenged roadside vendor, followed them in his vehicle and managed to catch two of the three with the help of others, two streets away,” said Mathiyazhagan, husband of Senthamarai. Mathiyazhagan runs a textile shop in the same neighbourhood. “My wife has been hospitalised. She has a minor head injury and suffered bruises. She is so traumatised that she wakes up with shock from sleep. Our daughter has only some bruises,” Mathiyazhagan told this newspaper from the hospital. The people who overpowered the two culprits, Appu and Osaimani of Vysarpadi, beat up them before handing them over to the police. The police said they are on the look out for the third man, Mano.