Chain snatching incidents raise alarm in Yadadri and Bhongir villages

A series of chain-snatching incidents is giving sleepless nights to villagers in Yadadri and Bhongir districts. The gang targeting people sleeping outside their houses in the summer.

Seven incidents where gold chains and mangalsutras of women were cut and snatched when they were in deep sleep have been reported in the last 10 days, police said. Almost all the thefts were committed between 2 am and 4 am. In all the seven cases, the accused used a cutter and vanished into the dark.

One of the victims, Gaddam Yadamma, 57, of Mothkur, Indiranagar, said, “It was around 3 am on Monday, when I was fast asleep in the open place before my house that I felt a movement on my neck. I thought that it was a snake. It was a thief who had cut and taken away my three-tola chain. By the time I raised an alarm, he vanished into the dark.”

Yadamma added, “We learnt that similar thefts were committed elsewhere in Bhuvanagiri and Yadadri districts. I request the police to increase patrolling and ensure our safety. If these chain snatchers are armed, they could kill those who try to resist them.”

“We are sure that they have mastered the use of cutters because none of the victims knew till the morning that the ornaments on their body were robbed,” the officer said.

“There are 421 villages in the rural areas of Yadadri district and most of them are without electricity connections. It is difficult to deploy a constable in every village. However, we have intensified night patrolling,” said M. Rajesh Chandra, DCP, Yadadri.

“We have formed four special teams to get the gang. We are cautioning the locals to take necessary precautions and to avoid sleeping outside with gold ornaments and fully cover the mangalsutra,” Rajesh said.

Meanwhile, around 52 CCTV cameras have been installed in the housing board colony at Bhongir with amounts raised by crowdfunding.

“Our teams are urging shops, function halls, petrol pumps, hospitals and other establishments located on the highways to install CCTV cameras. That would facilitate prevention and detection of crimes”, Rajesh said.