The building in which Preeti Agarwal lives in Patna City. Picture by Sachin

Chain-snatchers hit the city streets on Friday after a brief hiatus and decamped with a jewellery of a 52-year-old woman.

The victim, Preeti Agarwal, was robbed of her gold chain near the entrance of her apartment under the Chowk police station of Patna City around 9am. She was returning home after buying vegetables. A teenager pushed her from behind, snatched the chain and fled sitting on the bike of his aide standing some distance away.

Preeti clung on to her chain for a while. But the teenager managed to snatch it.

The chain tore apart during the tussle between the woman and the teenager. Preeti managed to retain the smaller portion of the chain.

Visibly scared after the incident, Preeti was not in a position to speak. One of her relatives said: “My aunt sustained minor injuries during the scuffle with the thief. According to her, the boy, who looked not more than 14 years old, attacked her from behind and snatched the chain. The chain broke during the scuffle and my aunt managed to save the smaller part from the grasp of the thief. The teenager ran towards the road with the bigger portion of the chain. A person was waiting for him there on a bike.”

Police said the family of the victim had not lodged any complaint, but the police were working on the case.

“The police have come to know about the incident. We have received some information about the persons giving shape to the incident. The family of the victim is yet to lodge a complaint. But our investigations are on and those involved will be caught,” an officer of Chowk police station told The Telegraph.