Jagadeesan and George had big ideas for their high-school reunion dinner — but since they turned to crime to finance their fun, police and the public quickly put paid to their plans.

Police said M Jagadeesan (23), doing his MBA in a private college in Pune, and Joyal George (20), a visual communications students at a college on Poonamallee High Road snatched a gold chain from a school teacher around 4 pm on Saturday. George is the son of a deputy superintendent of police working in a district.

The victim Arockia Mary (32), a resident of Thiruvengada Puram in Choolaimedu, a teacher in a private school in the area, was returning home from work on Saturday, when the incident took place. The students were on a two-wheeler and Jagadeesan, riding pillion, snatched the gold chain weighing 4.5 sovereigns from Arockia Mary’s neck.

Hearing her cries, two mechanic shop employees threw a piece of metal at the vehicle wheel — which hit home. The duo lost their balance, fell on to the ground and then took to their heels. Members of the public and police who reached the scene chased the two and nabbed them.

Choolaimedu police arrested the men and registered a case. Initial inquiries revealed that Jagadeesan and George were schoolmates and were invited to an alumni meeting. As the duo had no money to spend at the party — being organised at a resort on ECR on Sunday evening — they decided to snatch gold chain.