Hyderabad: Police on alert after series of chain snatchings

Hyderabad: The State police sounded an alert after six chain-snatching incidents within two hours in Hyderabad on Saturday. The chain-snatching gang went berserk by committing offences at different places in Secunderabad on Saturday morning. The offences were reported between 6.20 am and 8.10 am.

Two chain snatchings were reported at Uppal and one each at Nacharam, Chikalguda, Ramgopalpet, and Osmania University, sending the police into a tizzy.

Following the incidents, police in all three police commissionerates (Hyderabad, Secunderabad, and Rachakonda) sounded an alert. Police suspect that an inter-state gang from Delhi may be involved in the crimes. As the offenders are likely to escape to Delhi, police stepped up vigil at airport, railway stations, and bus stations.

Police also launched vehicle checking to catch the offenders. A vehicle used by chain snatchers in Secunderabad was found in Paradise area. Ramgopalpet police seized the vehicle.

Police are scanning the CCTV footage of the incidents. Images of two suspects were captured on CCTV in one of the incidents.

The first incident was reported from the Rajadhani colony in Uppal at 6.20 am. Twenty minutes later, another woman lost her gold chain to bike-borne snatchers at Kalyanpuri colony in Uppal.

The two cases were registered at Uppal police station of Rachakonda commissionerate. Around 7.10 am, the gang snatched the chain of another woman at Nagendra Nagar under Nacharam police station of Rachakonda commissionerate.

About 30 minutes later, the gang snatched the chain of another woman at Ravindra Nagar under Osmania University police station of Hyderabad commissionerate.

Two more incidents were near Ramalayam Gundu under Chilkalguda police station and another under Ramgopalpet police station limits.