August 27, 2015
Frequent cases of chain snatching throw police into a tizzy
(Illustration:Subyendu Ganguly)
Is a new chain snatching gang operating in the city? It could be a big ‘yes’, taking into account the new modus operandi adopted by chain snatchers.
Chain snatchings are not an uncommon occurrence in the city with a few hundred cases being reported in Hyderabad and Cyberabad every year. However, the new modus operandi of striking women riding pillion on two-wheelers on thoroughfares has caught the police off guard. While the police are putting in all efforts to stop the menace, the frequent change in timings and places is worrying them. Last Wednesday, the snatchers targeted women pillion riders at four places on the L.B. Nagar and Chaderghat stretch between 10 p.m. and 11 p.m. At Chaderghat, a woman slipped from the scooter and sustained injuries.
On Monday afternoon, a gang struck at Chandrayangutta and yanked off a 30-grams gold chain from a housewife and before striking at this thoroughfare, the gang resorted to chain snatching at Meerpet and Hayatnagar. Similar cases were also reported at different police stations in the city and Cyberabad where offenders adopted the same modus operandi.
What puzzles the police is the fact that most chain snatchers are in jail while a few are on the run, yet incidents are continuously being reported. Moreover, unlike the local offenders or Iranian gangs who targeted women walking in secluded places or thoroughfares during less traffic hours, the new gangs are striking during rush hour too. A section of police officers surmise that taking into account the ruthlessness and boldness, a new gang could be camping in the city or visiting for a short period of time. “Earlier, only three to four such cases were reported every year but for the last couple of months, more such instances are being reported,” a police official said.
Following the death of a woman, Sumitra, at the hands of chain snatchers at Osmania University a month ago, the police launched a massive hunt to nab the offenders but registered little success. On the other hand, the police have also taken up massive vehicle checking operations across the city in the hope of getting some clues.
OF FAKE PASSPORTS AND PROBE
More often than not, the police have caught people with multiple passports through fraudulent means, mainly by bribing policemen. Senior police officials have time and again said they would plug in the loopholes in the system but not much has changed.
The recent case of 35 illegal immigrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh obtaining Indian passports through fraudulently acquired documents and bribing Special Branch officials, is a case of empty assurance. The police now need to look into how passport agents managed to obtain original Aadhaar cards and Electoral Photo Identity Cards (EPIC) with the help of which they applied for passports.
Unless persons providing Aadhaar cards and EPICs to brokers are caught, there is always scope for more such cases. A classic example is the credit card fraud racket busted by the Cyberabad police recently. The accused, M. Jagan Mohan Reddy, along with 13 of his associates, managed to cheat banks to the tune of Rs. 60 lakh by obtaining credit cards, which in turn, is acquired through fake EPIC and PAN cards. The city police also need to expand their probe to Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC) and Unique Identification Authority of India (UIAI) employees as their role in the recent passport scam is suspected.
Reporting by
Asif Yar Khan