A 35-year-old woman, who not only chased down a suspected thief but also dragged him to the police station, but also has helped the cops bust a gang of underage robbers.

Savithri, a resident of Jalahalli, was about to board a bus at Hebbal when a young man snatched her phone and purse, and started running away. She gave a chase and didn’t lose focus even when he handed over the stolen items to an accomplice who fled in a different direction. Savithri kept chasing the youth who had robbed her, and managed to catch him with the help of onlookers.

The suspect was thrashed by the public. But before the situation could get out of hand, an onlooker offered to take Savithri and the youth to the jurisdictional police station which is five to six kilometres away.  At the police station, the woman filed a complaint but was disappointed to learn that the suspect was a juvenile. Police found out that he was only 15 years old.

Police, however, got some phone numbers from him and have launched an investigation into a gang of juveniles which has been robbing people during the rush hour at bus stops on Ballari Road, especially on the stretch between Hebbal and Kodigehalli.

“We suspect that there is a gang operating during the peak hour on the busy Ballari Road. Most of the offenders are juveniles who work for local gangs,” a senior police officer said. “These gangs know very well that even if juveniles are caught, they can get back to business after just three or four days.”