UP: Chain snatchers used to travel 120 km from Prayagraj to Kashi to evade police

PRAYARGAJ: The Uttar Pradesh police recently ended the joyride of two chain snatchers in Varanasi who had mastered the art of changing their modus operandi.
The chain snatchers used to travel a distance of at least 120-125 km from Prayagraj to Varanasi on their bike to execute chain snatching, and return to their homes after committing the crime.
Lanka police in Varanasi arrested two chain snatchers Santosh Rawat and Pawan Kumar, residents of Transport Nagar and Rajapur (both localities of Prayagraj) respectively in late June. They used to travel miles of distances to execute chain snatching in Kashi’s posh areas.
The duo shifted their operational area from Prayagraj to Varanasi to evade cops of Sangam city.
Wanted in connection with at least 40 criminal cases, chain snatcher Santosh Rawat not only executed nine chain snatching incdents in the city pockets of Varanasi, but was also wanted by Varanasi police in connection with a case registered under 307 of IPC.
After his arrest, Varanasi police shared his details with their Prayagraj counterparts, seeking more information about him and his gang members.
The officials in Prayagraj, meanwhile, were stunned to know the modus operandi of the duo who used to travel several miles from Prayagraj to Varanasi to execute crimes.
A senior cop preferring anonymity told TOI that the two chain snatchers, Santosh and Pawan, wanted by both Prayargaj and Varanasi police, had executed many chain snatching incidents. He added that both had been travelling to Varanasi from Prayagraj for the past six months and executed more than half a dozen chain snatching incidents in Varanasi.
The duo gave sleepless nights to the police of both the districts, which is why special teams were constituted to nab the snatchers. The cops had in fact laid their trap in advance and after a hard work of many days, they managed to catch both the criminals.
Following the arrest, Varanasi police have sought more details of both chain snatchers from their Prayagraj counterparts to ascertain whether they have opened any history sheet of these criminals or any booty has been announced on their heads