In a brazen act of theft, a chain snatcher targeted a woman in a restaurant in northern India’s Haryana in broad daylight.

The incident took place at Tahseel Camp road in Panipat on June 8.

Visuals showed a man wearing a helmet inside the eatery, ostensibly to collect a food order. The man then swiftly snatches a chain from a woman dining with her friends and escapes. A staff member emerges from the kitchen shortly after the thief flees.

The video was shared on X by journalist Sanjay Tripathi, highlighting the audacity of the crime. It has garnered over 274,000 views, with numerous users expressing their thoughts. One user commented on the lack of vigilance by the hotel management and patrons, noting the man’s prolonged presence with a helmet as a red flag. Another user questioned the woman’s apparent lack of awareness despite the man’s suspicious behavior.

This incident follows a similar theft in Rajasthan, where a thief stole a customer’s mobile phone in a restaurant, and another in Lucknow where a thief was caught sleeping in an air-conditioned room post-theft.

The Panipat police are currently investigating the incident and urge the public to remain vigilant in such public spaces.