5 sovereigns, 2 mobile phones snatched in 1 hr

P Menaka (29) of Balaji Nagar in Annanur, a private school teacher, was feeding her child in the living room when a 20-year-old man entered the house around 9.30 pm and snatched her chains. While one of the ornaments fell on the floor, the man escaped with a five-sovereign chain.

Just 15 minutes later, M Sulochana (64) of 18th Cross Street, Annanur, who was sitting on the verandah and talking to her relative over phone, was snatched of the phone. As she raised an alarm, the snatcher tried to flee with another person who was waiting outside. But neighbours chased and secured one of them. He was handed over to the Tirumullaivoyal police. He was identified as H Babu (19) of Avadi, a previous offender at the ICF police station. However, the other person, Vicky, escaped with the phone. Since the modus operandi of both the incidents were similar, the police are investigating whether the same men were behind both the incidents.

In another incident reported around 10.30 pm in Ayapakkam, a 30-year-old man was snatched of his phone worth Rs 13,500. T Manoj Kumar of Ambikai Nagar was standing outside with his phone to answer a phone call when a bike-borne duo snatched his phone and fled the spot. Based on his complaint, the Tirumullaivoyal police have registered a separate case and a hunt has been launched for the suspects.