Mysuru:  A day after chain-snatchers had a field-day where gold chains of seven women were yanked off in back-to-back incidents, the Police were literally forced to get into the field and co-ordinately intensify action to nab the criminals through ‘Operation Fast Track’. Yesterday’s audacious strike came after months of lull, catching the Police off-guard.

Making quick amends, the Police were on city roads from as early as 5 am today along with Inspectors and higher officers equipped with mikes for public announcements, Interceptors, Garuda and Cheetah vehicles to chase suspicious vehicles and metal barricades to check speeding bikes and other two-wheelers.

They also had cameras to record the movements of vehicles and scribbling pads and pens to note down the numbers of bikes, especially ‘Black Pulsar’ with reddish shades was seen throughout the day yesterday.

Seven incidents in a single day

After targeting five women at Vidyaranyapuram, Ittigegud, V.V. Puram and Unnatinagar from 6.35 am to 8 am yesterday, chain-snatchers targeted two more women last night even as a red alert was sounded by the Police and barricades being placed on many roads.

At 8.40 pm, bike-borne criminals snatched the gold chain from 41-year-old Geetha on Ramakrishna Road at Vidyaranyapuram. The chain weighed 32 grams. Geetha was on a stroll near her house after dinner. Next, the chain-snatchers headed towards Mahadevapura and snatched the gold chain of 47-year-old Nagarathna at 9.10 pm. Her ornament weighed 40 grams and even she was on a walk after dinner.

Based on the description given by both the victims, the Police have concluded that it was again a Black Pulsar and it was the same men who struck again in the evening after yesterday morning’s heist. Interestingly, last night’s incidents have occurred at spots that were not identified as “chain snatching spots” by the Police and both the roads were not asphalted. The total value of all the seven gold chains is estimated to be Rs. 6,99,000.

‘Operation Fast Track’

Alarmed by the spate of chain-snatching, the Police, under the direction of City Police Commissioner K.T. Balakrishna, launched ‘Operation Fast Track’ exclusively to curb chain-snatching incidents. The operation will be in force till the menace ends and normalcy returns after the criminals are arrested. As part of the operation, many additional chain-snatching points have been identified along with the regular vulnerable areas.

Today, the entire City Police force along with 157 additional staff were on their toes, placing barricades, checking each bike and other two-wheelers and well-built youngsters travelling on bikes. All their movements were tracked with Constables noting down the registration numbers of suspicious vehicles. More than 40 Garuda, PCR and Cheetah, personnel from City Armed Reserve, Women’s Wing and Women Garuda personnelwere part of the operation.

Escape routes identified

Teams from all the Sub-Divisions headed by Assistant Commissioner of Police — Devaraja Krishnaraja and Narasimharaja — were deployed at their respective jurisdictions and wherever there is a need, additional forces were deployed.

More than 80 escape routes taken by the chain-snatchers have been identified and barricaded and old cases are being studied to identify a pattern. Operation Fast Track will be in place every day between 6 am to 9 am and 4 pm, 9 pm and 10 pm.

Public announcements

In addition, teams were sent to various extensions to make public announcements asking women to be careful while walking alone. Public announcement teams were stationed at parks, walkways, major junctions, circles, temples. Teams including Inspectors and women Constables were seen interacting with people especially elderly women on the modus operandi of criminals.

While youngsters were asked not to send the elderly out of their houses on any errands, the elderly were advised not to wear gold chains and even if they had to wear, cover them properly with their sarees.

Educating women

As chain-snatching incidents happen mostly when women go for a stroll in the morning or evening, the Police feel that scarves or jackets must be worn by them as offenders will lose an opportunity to strike. The Police have urged women to be watchful of their surroundings while venturing out of their houses.

Tracking yesterday’s crime, Special Branch Police are collecting information on the arrival of outsiders to the city and are identifying their place of stay and their mode of transport. As yesterday’s chain snatching incidents occurred at different localities, a separate team has been constituted to screen CCTV footages obtained at various junctions to trace the bike.

The team is sitting inside the CCTV camera control room at the Police Commissioner’s Office and is screening the bikes, timings and their movements.

Irani Gang suspected

Three teams have been constituted to nab the culprits. “We have got some clues and working on them to zero in on the criminals,” Police said. Suspecting Irani Gang which has become active, the Police said more than 77 temporary check-posts have been established across the city to trace the bike that was seen in the CCTV footages yesterday.

The Irani Gang has origins in Balochistan desert and they were nomads and migrated to India in the 16th century. They initially used to live near Railway Stations and Bus Depots. Now they have settlements in Maharashtra at Ambwali, Mumbra, Thane, Sangola and Sangli, Bidar, Bengaluru, Ballari, Hubballi and Dharwad in Karnataka.

The gang members are excellent riders, courageous and well-built. They are known to operate as chain-snatchers and even pose as Policemen to rob people.  These gangs take advantage of geographical road maps of cities and escape through ring roads.

According to Police sources, these people do not commit crime in their own area. A person from Maharashtra will go to Bengaluru or Bidar. Their modus operandi is to first form a team with their partners in different cities. Local partners help them with routes and they enter the city on bikes. Local partners ride the bikes in city as they are familiar with escape routes and the outsiders ride pillion to snatch chains. After committing the act, they get to the highway and escape.

Police said that a year back, the Chandra Layout Police in Bengaluru had arrested some members of Irani Gang. “These men were let off on bail three months back and we suspect they have come to Mysuru,” a Police officer said.