By V. Shuman

KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA: A snatch thief was killed after a woman, whose handbag he had snatched earlier, rammed into his motorcycle at Taman Tasik Titiwangsa on Wednesday night.

The woman, a 28-year-old marketing executive, is now being investigated for culpable homicide not amounting to murder.

Sentul police chief Assistant Commissioner Zakaria Pagan said the incident happened about 10pm when the woman was driving home to Petaling Jaya from her office in Wangsa Maju.

"As she approached traffic lights near Tasik Titiwangsa, the suspect rode up beside her and ordered her to stop at a nearby petrol station.

"When she got out of the car, the suspect accused her of grazing his motorcycle and demanded she pay for the damage," Zakaria said.

The woman gave him RM42.

Then he asked her for her mobile phone on the pretext of calling his friend to fetch him from the petrol station.

When she hesitated, he grabbed her handbag, which was on the front seat, and sped off on his motorcycle.

The woman gave chase in her car and caught up with the snatch thief in Jalan Setiawangsa 1, about 800m from the petrol station, when he rode into a cul-de-sac.

The woman rammed her car into his motorcycle. He was flung several metres and died on the spot where he fell.

A passer-by who witnessed the incident contacted police.

The dead man was identified as C. Unni Krishnan, 29, from Taman Permai, Seremban. He had a previous record, also for snatch theft.

Zakaria said police had recorded the woman's statement but did not detain her.

"She is assisting us in our investigations."