Unknown persons on a bike snatched the mobile phone of Gautham Karthik, son of actor Karthik, while he was cycling on T.T.K. Road on Wednesday morning. Cyclists in the city complain that they have been facing this problem for many years.
According to police, Gautam Karthik, 31, a resident of Kasturi Rangan Road, was cycling on T.T.K Road around 5.10 a.m. on Wednesday. Two men on a bike came from behind him and snatched his mobile phone and sped away. He lodged a complaint with the police around 5.30 a.m. A case has been registered and further investigations are on.
City cyclists say they have been facing this problem for the past many years and despite complaints given to the police, nothing has been done. “We get two to three complaints every month primarily from people who cycle through the T.T.K Road - Cathedral Road junction and near Citi Centre. We don’t get too many complaints from other parts of the city,” said Akilesh Chalani, organiser, We are Chennai Cycling Group (WCCG).
Mr. Chalani said that cyclists say that it is usually a two-member gang on a bike. “They not only snatch the phone, but also push the cyclist down. We have already complained to the police,” he said.
Runners also claim they feel vulnerable while running through T.T.K Road and Cathedral Road which is used by many residents for walking, running and cycling. “Now we ensure that we run in a group and I try to avoid these two stretches,” said Vrunda Maroo, who is part of a neighbourhood running group in Alwarpet.
A senior police officer said that the culprits are caught at the earliest. “We nabbed the accused involved in similar incidents near Gemini Flyover and R.K. Salai recently. To reduce such crimes, we will enhance visible policing and co-ordinate with the Greater Chennai Corporation to improve lighting. Besides, we request runners and cyclists to be wary while carrying phones and other valuables during workouts,” said the officer.
