The students who take to chain snatching are either addicted to luxuries or get carried away by the lifestyles of their friends. (Representational image)

Hyderabad: The number of students involved in chain snatching is increasing. Of the snatchers arrested around 25 per cent are students. Most of them were continuing studies while others are dropouts. Police says that many of these students are from well to do families.

Chain snatcher gangs are from northern states and usually belong to the Bavaria gangs of UP or Irani gangs from Karnataka. These gangs operate only after surveys and with detailed planning. They operate in twos and after snatching a considerable quantity of gold, they go into hiding.

Lone chain snatchers who strike without any planning act spontaneously if they see a single woman walking on the road or cleaning the courtyards of houses.

The students who take to chain snatching are either addicted to luxuries or get carried away by the lifestyles of their friends. Unable to purchase goodies with own funds they go for chain snatching which is a easy offence that can yield big money. Police say that students who are caught in chain snatching cases, though not from very high class families, are in the well to do category.

“Lack of monitoring by parents and control on their desires, is making them commit such offences. In most cases, the chain snatching victims lose their mangalsutra, which they view as sacred. If the student snatchers know the value of it they will not resort to such offences,” a senior city police official said.

In Hyderabad, of the total chain snatchers arrested in the last five years, 25 per cent wee engineering graduates, 25 per cent degree students, 20 per cent had completed intermediate or are dropouts from graduation, around 20 per cent have completed SSC and are working in odd jobs. 65 snatching cases were reported in Hyderabad till July 31.

In Cyberabad West commissionerate, six students were arrested in 2016 and in Cyberabad East commissionerate, 14 students were arrested for chain snatchings.