(Image source from: JP Morgan manager cum chain snatcher arrested})

One would normally expect rogues and ruffians to commit a crime as petty as chain snatching. But what do you do when you find that the man who seized your chain is a well-paid MBA working in a reputed MNC firm?

Meet Saikat Guin, a 27-year-old Bengali guy working in Bangalore, who works as an operation analyst development manager by day and a chain snatcher by night. But mind you, he isn't alone. His partner in crime is the 20-year-old Sounak Datta, also from Kolkata, a third year Electronics engineering student in HKBK College of Engineering, Nagwara. Together, the criminal duo have snatched over a dozen chain so far, leaving the Bangalore police with sleepless nights. However, they were arrested on Sunday night while trying to escape after a botched attempt.

Both Saikat and Sounak hail from well-off families. According to the authorities, the two met at a party and, being from the same city, struck a friendship and later, became partners in crime.

Saikat, who works in JP Morgan Chase and draws a salary of Rs. 25,000 a month, found chain snatching a convenient way to make easy money to lead a lavish life. He was also planning to get married to his long-time girlfriend next month. Sounak, apparently resorted to the crime to fend off his education loan.

They used to snatch chain on Saikat's Yamaha R15 bike, with Sounak riding as his pillion. Later, they used to sell off the stolen gold chains to pawn brokers and jewellers. They have been into this crime for over a year now.

They, however, ran out of luck last weekend, when they attempted to snatch the chain of Lavanya at HRBR Layout First Block. Lavanya and her husband Anand Reddy were on a two-wheeler when the duo chased them and tried to pull off the chain. Lavanya, however, managed to hold on to it and raised an alarm.

Panic-striken, the duo sped from the scene and her husband decided to give them a chase. He also alerted a passing police van and together they managed to seize Saikat and Sounak at the Babusabpalya junction.

On interrogating, they confessed to their crime. "We are yet to ascertain the exact number of chain snatchings they are involved in, but it's at least a dozen cases. They have been arrested and an investigation is on," a police officer said.

AW: Suchorita Dutta Choudhury