Rayagada: Local police Saturday arrested two members of a chain snatchers’ gang and two pick pockets in the town. The snatchers primarily targeted women, SDPO Y Jagannath Rao said at a press meet here.
The kingpin of the gang Santosh Rath of Malgodown area of Rourkela is on the run, he added.
The arrested persons were identified as Babula Sahoo of Baunsajhar village near Rourkela and Satish Majhi of Kattapeta village under Chandili police limits in Rayagada. Police seized two stolen bikes, five mobile handsets and some cash from their possession. The pick pockets were Y Lachhu Raju of Reli Sahi and Aditya Senapati of Harijan Sahi of Rayagada.
Explaining the gang’s modus operandi, police said, the accused, who usually rent dormitories in the town, snatch gold chains from women in the morning when the latter either set out for morning walks or to pluck flowers.
The gang members then leave the town for some time, and come back to resume their operation. The gang of three looted eight gold chains and other jewellery from several people of the town in three months, police said. Many cases are pending against them in police stations of Orissa and Jharkhand, it was learnt. PNN
