Villages no longer immune to chain-snatching; now mirror crime patterns in urban areas

Mysore/Mysuru: In a shocking incident under the jurisdiction of Yelwal Police Station in Mysuru, two miscreants snatched a gold mangalsutra from a woman farmer under the pretext of searching for a missing dog.

The victim, Kumari (47), wife of Kulle Gowda and a resident of Kalluru Naganahalli village in Yelwal hobli, lost her 37-gram gold mangalsutra, valued at about Rs. 3.2 lakh. The culprits fled immediately after committing the crime.

The incident occurred around 4.20 pm on Monday. Kumari had taken her cattle to a nearby pond when two men approached her on a motorcycle, showed her a photograph of a dog and asked if she had seen their missing pet.

After she said she had not, Kumari began leading her cattle back towards the road. The miscreants trailed her and, once near the roadside, suddenly snatched her mangalsutra and sped away on their bike.

Kumari screamed for help, and as there was no one nearby, the miscreants smoothly made away. Following her complaint, Yelwal Police have registered a case and launched a search for the culprits.

Rural areas are not safe anymore

This incident highlights an unsettling trend: The belief that villages are free from theft and provide a secure environment is fast becoming outdated.

Reports of chain-snatching and jewellery theft are rising even in rural areas. Miscreants are increasingly targeting women working alone in fields, deceiving them with casual conversation or fake stories before snatching their valuables and fleeing.

In a similar recent case, a miscreant approached 75-year-old Venkatamma of Naganahalli while she was working in a field near the Mysuru-Bengaluru Highway.

He snatched her 37-gram gold mangalsutra and 10-gram gold earrings, together worth around Rs. 4.5 lakh, and escaped on a motorcycle. A few months ago, culprits in a car targeted a woman grazing sheep near Kotehundi village on H.D. Kote Road and fled with her gold chain. Another comparable incident had occurred near Yelwal as well.

With gold prices surging to record highs, incidents of chain-snatching have seen a corresponding spike. Miscreants, who once targeted urban areas, have turned to villages, where poor CCTV and Police surveillance and isolated paths make crimes easier to execute.

Police have urged women in rural regions to remain vigilant when approached by strangers, particularly when alone. They advise avoiding isolated routes, especially at dusk or night, and travelling with a companion whenever possible.