Snatching near CoP’s office leads to man’s death

The owner of MRS Jewels, Tiruchy, M Rangarajan (68), was into the business of designing jewels, with about 10 goldsmiths working for him. Police said Rangarajan would come to Chennai every Thursday to distribute jewels to different retailers, and would stay at his son’s in-laws’ house in Peravallur. On his return, he would buy gold.

On Friday, Rangarajan is said to have purchased gold and was passing by EVK Sampath Road to go to Peravallur. As he was proceeding, a bike-borne duo snatched his bag a few metres away from City Police Commissionerate and sped towards Poonamallee High Road. Coming out of his shock, Rangarajan pursued them in his scooter. But he lost balance at the hump in front of the Commissionerate and fell down, suffering fatal head injuries.

A few college students who witnessed it alerted police and ambulance, and Rangarajan was rushed to the Rajiv Gandhi Government General Hospital. Rangarajan’s kin Narayanan from Peravallur, who reached there shifted him to a private super speciality hospital on Greams Road. But he died without responding to treatment.

The college students who alerted the police about the accident reportedly witnessed Rangarajan’s bag being snatched by the unidentified persons. Following this, Vepery police has formed two special teams to investigate the case. Meanwhile, Anna Square traffic investigation police have already registered a case under Sections 279 (rash driving) and 304A (causing death by negligence).

While snatching and robbery cases are being reported across the city without any let up, what has shocked the residents was that the crime and the resultant loss of life happened so close to the City Police Commissionerate where the security is the tightest.