Anti-chain snatching teams open fire on offenders in Vanasthalipuram

Cops attached to anti-chain snatching (ACS) teams today opened fired on two offenders during a snatching attempt in Vanasthalipuram area in Hyderabad, police said. However, the accused managed to escape from the scene even as police launched a hunt to nab them, they said. The incident occurred at around 11.10 AM in when one woman Sai Anuradha was walking towards her house. Two offenders came on a bike from the opposite direction and attempted to snatch her gold chain, Vanasthalipuram Police Station Inspector B Pushpan Kumar said. In the meantime, two constables of ACS team, who noticed this immediately tried to catch hold of the two accused, though the duo pushed the personnel aside and ran away when the constables fired two rounds on them and chased them, the Inspector said. "A hunt is on to nab the absconding accused," he said. Cyberabad Police here has deployed 55 armed anti-chain snatching teams to only "spot and intercept" chain snatchers but they have been empowered to fire on the snatchers, if they attack the cops. Further probe is on.