Motorists catch two thieves after a chase

BENGALURU: Two college dropouts who were on the run after stealing a mobile phone from a software engineer were caught after a chase by some motorists here on Monday. The techie was riding on her scooter near Marathalli bridge when the duo snatched her phone.

The public beat the two culprits before they handed them over to the police. The duo told the police that this was their first crime and that they hit upon this idea to make some quick money to lead a lavish life.
On Monday, Aishwarya, 29, a resident of Lal Bahadur Shastri Nagar in HAL second stage, was on her way to work on her scooter.  She had kept her mobile phone in the backpack pouch.

The duo spotted the phone and followed her on their Honda Activa scooter for some distance. When she approached Marathalli bridge, she slowed down as there was slow traffic movement. The duo then stole her mobile from the bag and sped away weaving their way between vehicles.

A motorist riding behind Aishwarya saw the duo stealing the phone and alerted her, according to her complaint. They both then raised an alarm. Hearing their shouts, other motorists swung into action. They chased the culprits for almost half a kilometre and managed to catch them.

Around 30 to 40 people who gathered at the spot beat the duo with helmets and slippers and then alerted the police. The police detained the duo and took them to a hospital as they were badly injured.An investigating officer said the duo are identified as Kanna, 19, and Manjunath, 20, both residents of Dr Ambedkar Nagar. They work  in a shoe showroom.

“Aishwarya refused to file a complaint as she got her phone back. But we insisted that she file a complaint. We have arrested the duo and sent them to jail. We have seized their scooter,” the officer added.