Ex-Telangana home guard working as bike-taxi driver in Andhra held in chain-snatching case
A former police home guard turned bike-taxi driver has been arrested in Andhra Pradesh for a series of chain-snatching crimes. Police recovered stolen gold and are investigating his involvement in multiple incidents across the region.
Why it matters
The case highlights issues of recidivism and the misuse of gig-economy roles to facilitate criminal activity.
A former home guard with the Cyberabad police, who served a prison sentence for chain-snatching in Telangana , has been arrested in Andhra Pradesh on charges of snatching chains while working as a bike-taxi driver. The Anakapalli police arrested him on Tuesday (October 6, 2026), along with a woman who allegedly received and sold the gold ornaments.
The accused were identified as Mahender Singh, 40, a native of Rajasthan now living in Madhurawada, and M. Latha Ratnakar, 52, of Kommadi.
The police recovered around 4.5 tolas of gold jewellery linked to two chain-snatching cases reported in Anakapalli.
According to the police, Mahender Singh had worked as a home guard with the Cyberabad police. He later took to chain-snatching, targeting women walking alone in Telangana between 2013 and 2015. He was arrested and served a prison sentence.
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