Kannada Actor Jaggesh turns real-life hero, catches 2 chain-snatchers

BANGALORE: Thursday, 5.30pm. Actor-politician Jaggesh was standing outside his house on Malleswaram 18th cross, near MES College, and talking to a friend over mobile. Suddenly, a young girl's screams startled him out of his wits.
He saw two men hurriedly escaping on a motorcycle after snatching the girl's gold chain. He saw the young girl holding on to her chain firmly and the pillion rider dragging her for nearly 20 feet. Thus began Jaggesh's real-life heroism -- he gave chase and caught the two college-going chain snatchers.
"First it was a shock and then I realised something had gone wrong. I was furious. I decided to catch and teach the chain-snatchers a lesson,'' Jaggesh told TOI. "I stopped a biker coming that way. I asked him to give me his bike, while explaining about the chain-snatching and wanting to help the girl. He accepted my request and I hopped on to the two-wheeler. I knew I had to speed up to catch the fleeing miscreants," Jaggesh said.
Jaggesh, then, followed the duo for nearly 500 metres. After closing in on them, he rammed against their motorbike, forcing them to fall on the ground. "I stopped my bike and caught hold of them. The pillion rider was still clinging to the chain. Meanwhile, the public, who heard the commotion, gathered around," Jaggesh said.
Many took it to be a film shooting as they saw Jaggesh in full action. He rode at maximum speed, rammed into the duo and caught hold of them.
On learning about the incident, Malleswaram police arrived there and arrested the duo who are minors and studying in second PUC in two different reputed colleges. "While one studies in Austin College and resides in Cholurpalya, the other is a student of Sheshadripuram College," deputy commissioner of police (North) HS Revanna told TOI.NO FILM SHOOTING THIS Jaggesh recalled the difficulty he faced in convincing the public that it was not a film shooting. "Idu shooting alla (not film shooting)," he repeatedly told the public asking them to inform police. "Many shook my hand and asked me which film was being shot. I had difficulty in convincing them that it was a real chase, and not a movie being shot," Jaggesh said.
GOOD SAMARITAN
This is not the first time that Jaggesh is acting as the Good Samaritan. On Feb. 9, 2010, he had saved an injured man who slipped and fell on the railway track.Jaggesh had come to platform number eight around 10.30pm to bid farewell to minister R Ashoka who was travelling to Bellary. Vijay Kumar, the injured man, slipped off when he tried to board a moving train. He fell on the tracks and made futile attempts to step on to the platform. Jaggesh immediately rushed to his rescue.