Watch: Chain-snatchers target elderly couple — then a bystander charges in
CCTV shows Ajmer resident confronting attackers as locals chase and catch one
Dubai: A chain-snatching attempt targeting a retired doctor and his wife in Rajasthan took a dramatic turn when a bystander intervened, knocking one of the alleged attackers off his motorcycle and helping foil their escape.
The incident took place in Ajmer’s Civil Lines area on September 12 and was captured on CCTV, with footage of the confrontation subsequently going viral on social media, NDTV reported.
The elderly couple were returning home on a scooter and were reportedly only about 100 metres from their house when two men on a motorcycle approached them.
The suspects allegedly attempted to snatch a chain from the woman’s neck, causing both their motorcycle and the couple’s scooter to lose balance and fall.
Fake pistol pulled out
As the couple struggled with the attackers, the pillion rider allegedly produced what was later described as a fake pistol and threatened them before grabbing the woman’s chain.
Her cries for help alerted people nearby.
CCTV footage shows a bystander rushing towards the scene and confronting the suspects as they attempted to get away.
The man managed to knock the motorcycle rider off the bike, disrupting their escape.
One of the suspects then fled the scene, while the other attempted to escape on foot.
By then, more residents had gathered and gave chase. The fleeing man was caught by the crowd and allegedly beaten before police reached the scene.
Police hunt second suspect
Officers from the Civil Lines police station arrived after being alerted and began investigating the robbery, NDTV reported.
Police are examining CCTV footage as they search for the second suspect who managed to escape.
The video has attracted widespread attention online, with social media users particularly praising the bystander who intervened rather than merely watching the robbery unfold.
“The guy is no less than a saviour in the era where people just watch & record,” one user wrote.
Another said the footage demonstrated how “a country can have both kind of persons: Good and bad.”
The dramatic CCTV footage — from the initial attack on the couple to the intervention by residents and the pursuit of one of the suspects — has since been widely shared online.
