Bengaluru: Thief pledged to tonsure head if chain snatching is successful; arrested after return from pilgrimage

22-year-old Manjunath alias Mass Manja was previously arrested for robbery and lodged in central jail, Bengaluru. It is here that he met Yathish who advised to explore the field of chain snatching which he described as having quicker money making prospects. He was convinced by the pitch and took up on the advice after he left the prison. He had even offered a pledge that were his chain snatching endeavours to be successful, he would tonsure his head as an offering to his family deity, Male Mahadeshwara. 

Yatish along with Mass Manja indulged in chain snatching in the Girinagar locality in Bengaluru on August 13th. An elderly woman was robbed of a 25-gram gold chain. Mass Manja was true to his promise and embarked on a pilgrimage to the Male Mahadeshwara Hills. He even had his head tonsured. But misfortune was soon to strike him. 

Upon returning from the pilgrimage he was apprehended by the police who had set an elaborate trap and monitored CCTV footage across the city. 25-year-old Yatish and Mass Manja were arrested. The gold chain they had snatched was recovered along with a bike used for the robbery.