Two college students were arrested on Thursday for attempting to rob a gold chain from an elderly woman in Nandini Layout to repay their debt.
The accused boy and girl are classmates pursuing B.Com final year in a reputed college in Bengaluru.
According to the police, the accused had invested ₹15,000 on an online trading app and lost the money. They took a loan to repay the money invested and had a shortage of ₹5,000. The duo decided to snatch a chain to get the money.
As per the plan, they targeted Gayathri K.T., 65, a resident of Nandini Layout, while she was returning home from morning walk from a park. The duo had parked their scooter and were talking to each other outside the park. As she passed by, the girl followed her and threw chili powder on her face and tried to snatch her chain.
Ms. Gayathri didn't give up despite her eyes and face burning, and held the chain tightly, making it difficult for the girl to snatch the chain. Meanwhile, on noticing a biker heading towards the spot, the girl left Ms. Gayathri and escaped in the scooter in which her friend was waiting.
Ms. Gayathri went home, washed herself and lodged a complaint with the Nandini Layout police. A case under IPC section 393 (attempt to robbery) was registered. The police zeroed in on the duo with the help of CCTV footage analysis and identification of the two-wheeler used in the crime.
The duo confessed to the police that they had invested money in a trading application expecting quick returns, but lost money. They took loans from loan apps and friends, and had dues in repayment. They searched how to make quick money on the Internet and one of the options was to commit chain snatching. They gave it a try, but their luck ran out in the first attempt, the police said.
