Snatchers face public fury, get thrashed in robbery bid

In the first incident, a young woman who visited Mahabalipuram beach along with her friend on Tuesday evening was robbed by a man identified as Yuvaraj (27) of Urapakkam – who is critical after being thrashed by the local public. 

According to police, Yuvaraj approached Devi (25) and her friend while they were on the beach, attacked the latter, snatched his phone and Devi’s three-sovereign chain. He then tried to snatch her phone as well. When she held on to her phone, he allegedly slapped her several times and grabbed it. But when he tried to run, she held on to his hand and started shouting. He hit her on the head repeatedly with the mobile phone, rendering her unconscious. However, by then the people surrounded him and thrashed him with logs. 

Based on an alert, Mahabalipuram police rushed to the spot and took both Devi and Yuvaraj to Chengalpattu government hospital. Sources said Yuvaraj is under critical care after suffering serious injuries.

Meanwhile at Poonamallee, a three-member robbery gang stabbed an engineer of a private firm after he refused to part with his mobile phone on Tuesday night. The victim Ramkumar of Nagapattinam, an engineer at a firm on Poonamallee bypass road, is undergoing treatment at Kilpauk Medical College Hospital, while a hunt is on for the accused. 

The incident happened when Ramkumar was walking towards his office from Poonamallee bus stand for the night shift. Three men on a bike stopped and threatened him to hand over his phone. When he refused, they attacked him with the knife and escaped with his phone. Passers-by who noticed Ramkumar lying on the road margin rescued and sent him to the hospital. Poonamallee police have registered a case.

Meanwhile, a 19-year-old chain snatcher who jumped from the terrace of a building while trying to escape suffered fatal injuries and died at the hospital. Moorthi of Vadapalani and his accomplice Sarangapani snatched eight sovereign chain from Arthi (24) when she was walking towards her office on Nelson Manickam Road on Tuesday morning. Hearing her cries, passers-by chased them. Moorthi climbed a house, but realising he was cornered, he jumped to escape and sustained grievous injuries. Sarangapani, too, suffered injuries after being caught and thrashed by the public. Choolaimedu police admitted them at Kilpauk Medical College Hospital, where Moorthi died on Wednesday afternoon without responding to treatment.

A chain snatcher, who entered a clinic in Anna Nagar in the guise of consulting a lady doctor regarding the treatment for his wife and attempted to escape with a 10-sovereign chain of the doctor was caught on Tuesday.

The accused has been identified as Janakiraman of Tiruvallur while the victim, Dr Amudha, runs Mint Clinic at D Block in Anna Nagar East. Around 8 pm, Janakiraman reached the clinic and claimed that he needs to consult the doctor regarding some gynaecology treatment for his wife. 

When the doctor asked him to bring his wife, he stepped out and returned wearing mask and cap and a knife in his hand. Before the doctor could react, he snatched her chain and ran out of the clinic. However, he was chased and caught by a few alert youngsters in the locality and handed over to police. Anna Nagar police have registered a case and interrogating him.