Chain snatchers have field day at temple fest

CHENNAI: About 50 sovereigns of gold chains were reportedly stolen from nine women devotees who participated in the ‘Kumbabhishekam’ of a temple in Red Hills on Friday. Sources said hundreds of devotees arrived from the surrounding Red Hills area to participate in the festival at the Lakhsmi Amman temple in Bazaar area. At around 8 am, as sacred water was being poured over the ‘kalasams’,the crowds surged ahead to catch a glimpse of the ritual. In the melee, a female devotee suddenly noticed that her thali was missing and raised an alarm. Soon, other women also noticed that gold chains were missing from their necks. The victims were identified as Aruna, Selvi, Mariswari, Gomathi, Hemavathi, Kasturi, Lakshmikanthammal, Kuppamamal and Sulochana. They lodged complaints at the Red Hills police station.Glass Shop Worker Dies in Freak AccidentIn a freak accident, a 22-year-old employee of a glass shop died of injuries at Arumbakkam on Thursday, when a sheet of glass fell on him.Parthiban, a native of Tindivanam, was shifting a huge sheet of glass from the shop at MMDA Colony in Arumbakkam into a lorry, when it fell on him.Sources said the sharp edge of the glass sheet damaged his liver and kidney and he died.Student Hangs SelfA 20-year-old student Divya hanged herself allegedly because she was suffering from a chronic ailment. A resident of East Vanniar Street in K K Nagar, Divya was a third Year B.Sc student in a college at Kodambakkam.