Day after chain-snatching spree, suspect killed in Chennai police encounter

CHENNAI: The Greater Chennai Police’s encounter killings touched four in eight months on Wednesday after the city police shot dead one of the suspects belonging to the notorious ‘Irani gang’ that went on a chain-snatching spree on Tuesday, robbing six elderly women within the span of an hour. GCP Commissioner A Arun claimed the suspect was killed in self-defence.

Police had arrested the two persons, Jaffer Ghulam Hussain Irani and Misama Dusmesh Irani, within hours of the snatchings Tuesday, when they were trying to fly out of the city.

"The two reached the city only a few hours before their first hit at Saidapet, around 6 am. Within an hour, they snatched chains from five other women and went to the airport," Commissioner Arun told mediapersons.

According to additional commissioner (south), N Kannan, they went through over 100 CCTV footage to nab those involved.

The Airport police and police at railway stations were alerted after police deduced that the offenders were from other states. They soon tracked two of them to the airport.

"They did not pre book the tickets. As soon as their job was done, they went to the airport and bought tickets for the next available flight. We had alerted our anti-snatching patrol teams and vehicle checks were increased, so they decided to leave the city," according to the commissioner.

One of them had boarded a flight to Hyderabad and was apprehended from the flight while the other suspect was nabbed before he could board a flight to Mumbai, police said. A third accused, Salman Hussain Irani, who fled the city by train was secured at Ongole in Andhra Pradesh.

"All the stolen gold chains, weighing about 26 sovereigns, have been recovered," said the commissioner.

On the encounter killing, the commissioner said Jaffer Irani allegedly shot at them with a country-made pistol hidden in a two-wheeler, when they had taken him to Taramani to recover the vehicle used in the crime around 2.30 am on Wednesday. Thiruvanmiyur inspector Mohammed Buhari had to open fire, which killed Irani.

Jaffer was moved to a hospital where he was declared as brought dead. His body was taken to the Government Royapettah Hospital for autopsy.

Police investigation revealed that the two-wheeler used in the snatchings was a Karnataka registered one. Further probe is on.

Kill Count: 

March 26, 2025: Wednesday's incident is the fourth such incident in eight months

Sep 23, 2024: History sheeter N Raja alias ‘Seizing’ Raja (51), who was arrested in AP and brought to the city, was shot dead near Neelankarai

Sep 18, 2024: Kakathope Balaji, a history sheeter was shot dead at the dilapidated BSNL quarters in Vyasarpadi

July 14, 2024: K Thiruvengadam (33), one of the suspects in the murder of BSP leader K Armstrong, was shot dead near Madhavaram