Chain snatchers attack women with sword in Bengaluru, flee with gold jewelry

Bengaluru: Two women were threatened at sword-point by chain snatchers in Bengaluru’s Ishwarinagar locality under Girinagar police station limits, with one of them sustaining serious hand injuries after resisting the attackers, police said on Monday.

The incident, which occurred late on Saturday night, came to light only recently. The victims, Usha and Varalaxmi, both homemakers, were returning home around 10.30 pm after attending a Ganesh festival orchestra when two men on a bike confronted them.

Police said the robbers brandished swords and demanded their gold chains. While Usha, shocked and afraid, handed over her chain, Varalaxmi resisted. As she clutched her chain tightly, one of the assailants struck at her with a sword. In trying to block the blow, Varalaxmi suffered severe injuries to two fingers. The attackers snatched her chain, weighing about 45 grams, pushed her to the ground and escaped. Usha lost a chain weighing 10 grams.

Varalaxmi is currently receiving treatment at a hospital.

Police suspect the same gang may be behind a series of chain-snatching incidents reported the same night in Girinagar, Indiranagar, Kottanur and Konanakunte. CCTV footage shows two suspects moving on a bike, and a special team has been formed to track them down. Investigators believe the women may have been targeted after being spotted at the festival program.

The attack has once again raised concerns about women’s safety in the city.