Constable who chased and nabbed snatcher rewarded

Mani S from Tennavaram village in Vandavasi taluk in Tiruvannamalai was at the bus stand inside Chennai Central Railway Station premises around 8 pm on Tuesday to take a bus to his relative’s house in Moolakothalam. Then, a youth snatched his phone from his pocket and ran away from them.

Hearing Mani’s screams, traffic constable Ahmed Hussain, who was assisting a team to manage the congestion and jam on the busy stretch, chased him. The snatcher ran along Poonamallee High Road towards Park suburban railway station. Then, he jumped across the median, crossed the road and got on to a bus heading to Parrys Corner. But when he spotted the police personnel who were chasing him, the snatcher got down and began running again. However, Ahmed managed to catch him before late.

Police said the snatcher was identified as M Manju (28) from Pennagaram in Dharmapuri. He had come to Chennai about 10 days ago to look after his relative who has been undergoing treatment at the government hospital. He reportedly indulged in the crime to raise money to return home, police said.

The phone was returned to Mani, while Manju was presented before a court which remanded him in custody. On Wednesday, City Police Commissioner AK Viswanathan handed over a reward to constable Ahmed Hussain of Flower Bazaar police station.