A suspected chain snatcher allegedly killed himself by consuming cyanide when policemen went to arrest him.
Shankar, 47, a native of B Kothakota in Chittoor district, Andhra Pradesh, was a suspect along with another man in four cases of chain-snatching reported from KR Puram, East Bengaluru, recently. Police tracked them down to Hoskote.
According to the jurisdictional Sulibele police, Shankar and his associate Chandrashekar alias Chandru were spotted at the Anjaneyaswamy temple in Pillagumpe village near Hosakote around 4 pm on Tuesday. When Shankar saw the policemen coming for him, he allegedly gulped cyanide. He was later declared brought dead at a hospital.
Sulibele police have opened a case of mysterious death and are investigating how Shankar got the cyanide.
Police said Shankar and Chandru often travelled to Bengaluru on a two-wheeler with the specific purpose of snatching gold chains from women. They would quickly got back once the job was done.
A preliminary investigation found that the duo snatched eight chains, five in the city and three in Bengaluru Rural.
Shankar was earlier arrested over chain-snatchings reported in Jayanagar, Banashankari, CK Achukattu, Girinagar and other areas. Police believe he had been snatching chains since 2008, punctuated by brief stays in prison.
On July 6, they allegedly snatched the chain of a woman named Rathnamma, 51, in Battarahalli, KR Puram.
Police zeroed in on them and went looking for them in Hoskote. On their way back to the city, police are said to have spotted them.
Chandru told the police that he and Shankar prayed at the temple from the outside so that they didn't get into trouble.
Published 28 July 2021, 19:29 IST