Vizag: Debt-ridden AMTZ employee held for chain snatchings

Visakhapatnam: Visakhapatnam crime police arrested a 30-year-old youth for a series of chain snatchings in Steel Plant Police Station limits.

He has been identified as R Adinarayana alias Ashok of Akkireddipalem, Gajuwaka. Police recovered eight tolas of gold ornaments worth Rs 4.8 lakh, and a knife from his possession.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crimes), D Gangadharam told reporters that on May 23 evening, Adinarayana had allegedly accosted a woman at Sector-V, who was returning home from a temple.

He allegedly threatened the woman with a knife. When she raised the alarm, the accused injured her hand and snatched three tola gold chain.

DGM (Operations) GV Manohar Reddy, who was also walking nearby, tried to catch the accused but he too was allegedly stabbed by him. However, some of the locals caught him and handed him over to the police.

According to the police, the accused committed the first chain snatching on April 26 at Sector X. He snatched away three tola gold chains. Again on May 17, he allegedly snatched two tolas from another woman at Sector X. The chain snatching offence on Monday was his third one, the ADCP said.

In all the cases, the accused has targeted lonely women. He threatened or attacked them using a knife or a fake pistol, the ADCP said explaining his modus operandi.

Apart from invoking relevant sections for chain snatchings, police have also charged him with an attempt to murder.

The ADCP said that the accused is an employee at AMTZ. Her mother who runs a chit-fund business suffered losses and was under pressure to clear the debts. To sort out financial issues, the accused started chain snatchings, he said.