Bengaluru chain-snatching cases put street crime back into focus

A string of chain-snatching incidents across Bengaluru and its outskirts this month has brought the old street crime back into focus. A total of seven such cases, reported within weeks of each other, involved minors, habitual offenders and suspected gangs, with women targeted on roads, in crowded markets and around railway stations.

According to official figures, Karnataka recorded 34 cases between January and July 2026, compared with 41 during the corresponding period in 2025. Bengaluru city recorded three cases during both periods, while cases in Bengaluru district fell from three to one.

The state recorded 42 chain-snatching cases in 2025. “There is no surge in chain-snatching cases. The cases reported this month have been detected, and the police are taking action against the accused,” Bengaluru Police Commissioner Seemant Kumar Singh said, while speaking to the Indian Express.

One of the recent cases also brought minors and repeat offending into focus. On August 12, the Peenya police station arrested two accused for allegedly stealing two-wheelers and subsequently carrying out chain-snatchings.

The two targeted 39-year-old milk vendor Vijayamma in Doddabidarakallu near Nagasandra. Vijayamma was walking towards her Nandini milk shop near the Panchamukhi Ganesha Temple at around 5.15 am when the duo allegedly followed her on a motorcycle.

The pillion rider allegedly snatched her 15-gram gold mangalsutra, valued at around Rs 1.2 lakh. She tried to resist but fell and sustained injuries. The police said the two had allegedly stolen around eight two-wheelers while they were minors and had been sent to a remand home on three occasions.

The police are also checking whether they are involved in other chain-snatching cases. Additionally, officers said chain-snatching cases were also registered in Yelahanka New Town and Sampigehalli police stations. In the Yelahanka New Town case, the police arrested a man who allegedly said he had lost his livelihood and was left with nothing, citing financial desperation as his reason for committing the offence.

In the Sampigehalli case, two accused from Kalaburagi had allegedly come to Bengaluru to carry out the chain snatching and were traced within four days while attempting to flee back to Kalaburagi. The police arrested them and found that they had previous criminal cases.

The recent festive shopping rush has provided another setting for chain-snatching. On August 18, an Ayurvedic doctor lost a 29-gram gold chain worth more than Rs 4 lakh while shopping at KR Market ahead of the Varamahalakshmi festival.

The victim told the police that the area was heavily crowded and she could not immediately make out how the chain had been taken. The police suspect that more than one person could have been involved and are investigating the possibility of a gang operating in the area.

The police said the particular lane where the incident occurred did not have CCTV coverage and the heavy movement of people in surrounding areas made it difficult to identify the suspects. The railway police have also arrested an accused in a recent chain-snatching case involving women passengers.