66-year-old towed for 10 meters, deprived of the phone

CHENNAI: Refusing to let go of one of two men trying to speed away with his mobile phone, a 66-year-old jaggery-seller was dragged for 10 metres along a Virugumbakkam road on Monday night before he fell unconscious.
Police said CCTV camera footage of the elderly man, identified as Jayapandi of Nerkundram, twisting and turning on the road at Majestic Colony soon went viral and left residents shellshocked.

Jayapandi, who suffered severe bruises all over the body, was hospitalized. Jayapandi, who sells jaggery in residential colonies on his two-wheeler, had reached Majestic Colony around 10.30pm when two men on a scooty stopped beside him and said they were looking for an address.

Even as he was directing them, the two men snatched the phone from his shirt pocket and began moving. Jayapandi managed to hold the hand of one of them and was pulled down. But he didn't go and was dragged on until he lost his grip and was thrown away.

Hearing his screams, a few residents of the area and others rushed to his aid and took him to a private hospital where he is undergoing treatment. A case has been registered with the Valasarvakkam police station and further investigations are on. Police, who collected CCTV camera footage from another locality and found three men riding on the vehicle that Jayapandi saw his attackers on, are now searching for them. Police said the third man who may have come along with the others would have stood somewhere and conducted a recce for the snatch and boarded the scooty while escaping.

"We have got the CCTV footage from the locality. They appear to be previous offenders. We have launched a search and hope to nab them soon," said an investigating officer.

On February 11, S Menaka, a 52-year-old resident of Washermenpet, was walking near Valluvar Nagar at Arumbakkam around 7.30 am, when she fell victim to two bike-borne chain-snatchers.

The pillion rider grabbed her chain, causing her to fall on the road. When Menaka resisted and tried to save the chain, the robber dragged her for a few metres on the road before fleeing.