Man arrested for multiple chain snatching in Visakhapatnam Steel Plant

(Crime) arrested a 30-year-old man on Tuesday, who allegedly committed a series of chain snatching in Visakhapatnam. The accused has been reported to have committed these crimes in various sectors of the Visakhapatnam Steel plant. He has been accused of targeting lonely women for over a month under the Steel Plant Police station limits.

Identified as R Adinarayana alias Ashok, he is a resident of Akkireddipalem, Gajuwaka. The city police have recovered a total of 90 grams of gold ornaments worth ₹4.8 lakhs and a knife from the accused. Upon investigation, it was found that the accused is an employee at AMTZ and his mother runs a chit fund business. After occurring a major loss the duo were under pressure to clear off the debts, for which the accused resorted to chain snatching.

Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crimes) (ADCP) D Gangadraram while addressing the media said that the accused allegedly confronted a woman on 23 May 2022 at around 8 pm at Sector V, who was returning home by walk. Ashok allegedly threatened her with a knife and injured her while she tried to call for help. He snatched her gold chain and tried to flee. DGM (Operations) GV Manohar Reddy who was close was allegedly stabbed as he tried to catch the accused. The locals around came to the rescue, caught the accused and handed him over to the police.

Further investigation into the case revealed that a total of three such instances were committed by the accused. Ashok committed his first chain snatching on 26 April 2022 at Sector X, where he targeted a lonely woman and snatched away the gold chain she was wearing. He repeated this for the second time in the same sector on 17 May 2022. The chain snatching offence committed by him on Monday was his third attempt according to the ADCP.

He repeatedly targeted lonely women in the Visakhapatnam Steel Plant area and threatened them with a knife or a fake pistol. Therefore, the police have registered a case with appropriate sections for chain snatching and an attempt to murder and arrested the 30-year-old man in Visakhapatnam.

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