The Chikkadpally police on Friday arrested a couple involved in snatching a gold chain of a 69-year-old woman at her apartment building near Devi Theatre.The accused were identified as Gudipati Bramaiah, 51 and his wife, Gudipati Anjali alias Anjani, 48, residents of Borabanda and natives of Prakasam district in Andhra Pradesh.The incident was reported on the night of October 31, when the victim Surekha Auradkar was returning home after shopping. As she waited for the lift at her apartment, a masked man approached her, grabbed her by the hand, and forcibly snatched her gold chain, causing abrasions on her neck before fleeing the scene.Acting on credible information, police teams intercepted Bramaiah near Sahara Bakery in Ashok Nagar on Saturday morning. During questioning, he confessed to the crime, stating that he turned to robbery due to financial distress following business losses and debts incurred for his daughter’s marriage. He admitted to having learned chain-snatching techniques by watching YouTube videos and news reports.According to investigators, Bramaiah had been scouting areas such as Yousufguda and Borabanda for about two weeks before targeting the elderly woman. He used a paper-cutting blade and a mask to carry out the offence. He had made prior attempts in the Sultan Bazar area the same day before he started following the victim.After the robbery, he handed over the stolen chain to his wife, who mortgaged it at a Manappuram Gold branch in Kukatpally for ₹1.13 lakh. The couple used part of the proceeds to clear their debts.Police recovered the broken gold chain weighing 4.6 gm, another chain mortgaged at Manappuram weighing 14.35 gm, a paper-cutting blade and a mobile phone from their possession.Further investigation is under way.Published - November 08, 2025 06:59 pm IST