Two persons, including a woman from Andhra Pradesh, were arrested for allegedly stealing a woman’s purse by slashing her handbag with a blade in Ranganathan street in T. Nagar.

According to the police, Gayathri, 30, of Velachery, had gone to Ranganathan Street in T. Nagar on the night of May 11, along with her daughter and a relative to purchase clothes. While walking through the crowded street, a man and a woman allegedly brushed past her.

Later, when Gayathri opened her handbag at a nearby shop, she found that the side of the bag had been slit with a blade and the purse containing ₹6,000 had been stolen. Suspecting the two persons who had crossed her in the crowd, she lodged a complaint with the Mambalam Police Station Crime Wing seeking action against them and recovery of the stolen money.

The Mambalam Police, on investigation arrested the suspects who have been identified as Gunja Kittanna, 45, from Kurnool, and Vani, 20, from Nandyal, Andhra Pradesh.

Investigations further revealed that Gunja Kittanna already had several criminal cases pending against him in Andhra Pradesh, including three theft cases.