Constable and four others arrested for chain snatching

It is a typical case of fence eating the crop. Hyderabad, which has been witnessing several cases of chain snatching in the recent past, has seen a new twist to it on Thursday when the Cyberabad police arrested five persons, which includes a police constable who has been helping the chain snatchers in the offences.

The police recovered 1.14 kg gold ornaments, one bike and mobile phones from the accused persons.

“In a relentless fight against chain snatching offences, we have nabbed the notorious chain snatching gangs including a police constable, who helped one of the gangs to get bail and then commit offenses,” said Cyberabad police commissioner CV Anand.

The commissioner said that 31-yaer-old constable Konduru Mohan (PC-6056) of Hyderabad Commissionerate, resident of Manikonda, was recruited as a Civil Constable in 2005. He has been working in the crime team at Narayanaguda police station and developed intimacy with the accused Mohammed Farooq (35) while he was in custody of Narayanaguda PS in a snatching offense.

When Farooq was in remand, the constable visited him for ‘mulakath’. He promised to arrange bail and asked him to commit snatching offenses. Farooq accepted the proposal and asked the constable to arrange bail for his friend Mohammed Ahmed (27), too. In addition to arranging the bail, the constable provided them with a bike that was abandoned at the Narayanaguda police station and a mobile phone to communicate with him.

Accordingly, the accused Farooq and Ahmed committed five snatchings in Cyberabad and the stolen property was distributed between them equally. The Anti-Chain Snatching team intercepted the accused and arrested them based on their confession.

In another incident, an auto driver from Maharashtra has been apprehended by Malkajgiri Central Crime Station police on suspicion. During interrogation, the accused Waseem Osman Syed (31), confessed to have committed 22 chain snatchings along with his friend Hyder Gareebshah Irani, who is currently absconding. “The duo committed offenses in Pune, Shirdi, Ahmednagar, Nasik and Tamil Nadu,” the commissioner said.

A rice vendor from Chandanagar, D Ramprasad (37) has been arrested by the Kukatpally Central Crime Station police for his involvement in as many as 19 cases of chain snatching in Cyberabad, Hyderabad and Medak districts.

“We have been tracking the accused since 22 days. The Anti-Chain Snatching teams are working to nab the offenders and seven teams have been sent to other states to nab the kingpins of other gangs who have been masterminding the offenses,” the commissioner said.