Chain Snatching – A new Modus Operandi in Hyderabad

rrahul_2778 · 21st September 2010, 11:09

Sorry to hear about your loss Traveloholic. Just now I passed those areas you mentioned. Thanks for sharing this with us.

Its such a pain when one has to be on guard all the time, sometimes I feel is all this stress really worth it :(

BB - some good and useful tips you pointed out

vasoo · 21st September 2010, 11:10

Really sorry to hear this. Hope you will be able to recover the bracelet. I think it is now time for Gold to retreat from the general use ornament role it played for centuries to safe lockers. It just simply not make any sense to wear such an expensive thing on your body in these days when crime is on the upward swing every where. Its actually shocking to understand that a simple chain that we wear on our neck these days would cost upwards of 20k now!

drvhplyevraftr · 21st September 2010, 11:19

This seems to be happening all over hyderabad. My dad witnessed a chain snatching incident near vasavi high school hyderguda around 8:30 - 9 am couple of days back.
I dont know where we are going.

vnabhi · 21st September 2010, 11:24

Even if the thieves are caught, I am not sure if you will get back your ornament. I have become cynical becuase of a recent experience of a friend:

This took place in Bhilai, Chattisgarh. His mom was taking a morning walk when her 2-tola chain was snatched by 2 guys on a mobike. She promptly lodged a complaint at the P.S.

A month later she got a call from the PS that they'd apprehended the gang and had confiscated about a dozen stolen gold articles. She was told to go to the local magistrate's court and claim her ornament. Since it was in the name of my friend in the receipt (he'd bought it at Hyd a few years ago), he had to drive all the way to Bhilai to claim it.

My friend came to know after visiting that place that the cops had got all the confiscated ornaments altered to 1-tola chains, and perhaps pocketed the rest of the money. He was told to claim whatever they presented in the court or forget the matter forever.

Left with no choice, he had to do with the chain that was presented. He even had to make a statement in court that he would not alter the ornament or sell it in future.

This is the unfortunate way things happen in our country.

SILVERWOOD · 21st September 2010, 13:05

Quote:

Originally Posted by traveloholic

Yup! I escaped unhurt but with a good gash on my wrist due to the sudden jolt I received due to the bracelet.

Nikhil, I feel sorry for your loss.

Quote:

Originally Posted by mobike008

Sorry to know about the incident Nikhil.

I am in car 99% of the times and keep the laptop at rear floor ( never on seat) and have a concern only with my i10 which has a central locking which opens when i put the handbrake at signals. That's a bit risky!

I have to be extremely careful when i carry the laptop in my Jeep.No doors and hence no central locking.

lejhoom · 8th October 2010, 15:21

Felt very sorry to read your plight. It's quite unfortunate that things like these happen in Hyderabad.

I too had my share of woe. I used to live outside the country for some years. Five years ago, on a vacation when I came back to Hyderabad my wife and I lost out passports in a similar bag-snatching incident.

It happened on Rd No. 13 Banjara Hills where my family used to live. I remembered the place to be very safe with all MLAs and stuff residing around. One evening while we were walking back home after getting our flight tickets re-confirmed, a bike came behind us and snatched the bag from my wife's shoulder along with her duppatta. Actually she fell down on the road due to the violent pull and I had no clue as to what was happening. Luckily for us my valet and digital diary (good old days) were with me having taken back from her bag after we had a munch at the Pizza Hut. We had a harrowing time to get the passport reissued.

The interesting part was soon after the incident I assumed the police picket at the end of the road guarding MLAs would be of some help. They directed us to go the Banjara Hills police station to lodge a complaint. One good thing I appreciated about one of the police men was that he accompanied us in the auto to the police station. En route he was lamenting the rising crime rate. He attributed all this to the then ruling party that let out hundreds of criminals out from the jail! He was almost nostalgic about the ruling of previous government when crime was at the lowest.

The drama didn't end there. The following day I gave an ad in the newspaper about the lost passport and I got a call at around midnight. The guy says he was calling me from Malkpet and he got our passports and if I choose to visit him at that moment he would gladly give me my passport back. I was about to go there when my friends strongly advised me against it saying that the all these criminals camp in the Malkpet area! In the morning when I called that number there was no response. I was elated that the number looked like a mobile number (several digits as against eight of the landline) and hoped that the police could track the owner. It turned out that that was the time even public phone booths introduced the system of using mobile numbers. I was quite ignorant of all these having missed the mobile revolution in India. Finally nothing came off the police investigation.

Total loss: (Material) two passports, one Swiss Army knife; (mental) agony for several days till we could get new passport and visa stamped.

Fast forward to August 2010. My brother was walking towards the ATM near Chutney's after Jubilee Hills Checkpost talking into his mobile when a bike rode along side and in a smooth operation flicked the phone from his hand.

traveloholic · 8th October 2010, 15:27

This is exactly what FleetMaster encountered a few months back at Abids, near Brand Factory. He was on call when someone silently snatched his phone while he was still on call.

21st September 2010, 11:09	#16
rrahul_2778 BHPian Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: London Posts: 250 Thanked: 13 Times	Sorry to hear about your loss Traveloholic. Just now I passed those areas you mentioned. Thanks for sharing this with us. Its such a pain when one has to be on guard all the time, sometimes I feel is all this stress really worth it :( BB - some good and useful tips you pointed out
	() Thanks

21st September 2010, 11:10	#17
vasoo Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Memphis TN Posts: 1,039 Thanked: 246 Times View My Garage	Really sorry to hear this. Hope you will be able to recover the bracelet. I think it is now time for Gold to retreat from the general use ornament role it played for centuries to safe lockers. It just simply not make any sense to wear such an expensive thing on your body in these days when crime is on the upward swing every where. Its actually shocking to understand that a simple chain that we wear on our neck these days would cost upwards of 20k now!
	() Thanks

21st September 2010, 11:19	#18
drvhplyevraftr BHPian Join Date: Sep 2008 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 331 Thanked: 57 Times	This seems to be happening all over hyderabad. My dad witnessed a chain snatching incident near vasavi high school hyderguda around 8:30 - 9 am couple of days back. I dont know where we are going.
	() Thanks

21st September 2010, 11:24	#19
vnabhi Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: DC -> DC Posts: 5,958 Thanked: 2,393 Times View My Garage	Even if the thieves are caught, I am not sure if you will get back your ornament. I have become cynical becuase of a recent experience of a friend: This took place in Bhilai, Chattisgarh. His mom was taking a morning walk when her 2-tola chain was snatched by 2 guys on a mobike. She promptly lodged a complaint at the P.S. A month later she got a call from the PS that they'd apprehended the gang and had confiscated about a dozen stolen gold articles. She was told to go to the local magistrate's court and claim her ornament. Since it was in the name of my friend in the receipt (he'd bought it at Hyd a few years ago), he had to drive all the way to Bhilai to claim it. My friend came to know after visiting that place that the cops had got all the confiscated ornaments altered to 1-tola chains, and perhaps pocketed the rest of the money. He was told to claim whatever they presented in the court or forget the matter forever. Left with no choice, he had to do with the chain that was presented. He even had to make a statement in court that he would not alter the ornament or sell it in future. This is the unfortunate way things happen in our country.
	() Thanks

8th October 2010, 15:21	#21
lejhoom BHPian Join Date: Oct 2008 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 366 Thanked: 187 Times	Felt very sorry to read your plight. It's quite unfortunate that things like these happen in Hyderabad. I too had my share of woe. I used to live outside the country for some years. Five years ago, on a vacation when I came back to Hyderabad my wife and I lost out passports in a similar bag-snatching incident. It happened on Rd No. 13 Banjara Hills where my family used to live. I remembered the place to be very safe with all MLAs and stuff residing around. One evening while we were walking back home after getting our flight tickets re-confirmed, a bike came behind us and snatched the bag from my wife's shoulder along with her duppatta. Actually she fell down on the road due to the violent pull and I had no clue as to what was happening. Luckily for us my valet and digital diary (good old days) were with me having taken back from her bag after we had a munch at the Pizza Hut. We had a harrowing time to get the passport reissued. The interesting part was soon after the incident I assumed the police picket at the end of the road guarding MLAs would be of some help. They directed us to go the Banjara Hills police station to lodge a complaint. One good thing I appreciated about one of the police men was that he accompanied us in the auto to the police station. En route he was lamenting the rising crime rate. He attributed all this to the then ruling party that let out hundreds of criminals out from the jail! He was almost nostalgic about the ruling of previous government when crime was at the lowest. The drama didn't end there. The following day I gave an ad in the newspaper about the lost passport and I got a call at around midnight. The guy says he was calling me from Malkpet and he got our passports and if I choose to visit him at that moment he would gladly give me my passport back. I was about to go there when my friends strongly advised me against it saying that the all these criminals camp in the Malkpet area! In the morning when I called that number there was no response. I was elated that the number looked like a mobile number (several digits as against eight of the landline) and hoped that the police could track the owner. It turned out that that was the time even public phone booths introduced the system of using mobile numbers. I was quite ignorant of all these having missed the mobile revolution in India. Finally nothing came off the police investigation. Total loss: (Material) two passports, one Swiss Army knife; (mental) agony for several days till we could get new passport and visa stamped. Fast forward to August 2010. My brother was walking towards the ATM near Chutney's after Jubilee Hills Checkpost talking into his mobile when a bike rode along side and in a smooth operation flicked the phone from his hand.
	() Thanks

8th October 2010, 15:27	#22
traveloholic BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: TrafficJamaBad earlier known as Hyd Posts: 750 Thanked: 238 Times	This is exactly what FleetMaster encountered a few months back at Abids, near Brand Factory. He was on call when someone silently snatched his phone while he was still on call.
	() Thanks