Two held for stealing 23 phones over a year

The police said the duo would move around small bylanes on their bike, looking for pedestrians talking on their phones . “They would generally target those who were…engrossed in their conversations,” said Dhananjay Kulkrani, DCP (Crime). He added that the duo would approach their intended targets from behind at a great speed and one of the men would grab the pedestrian’s phone. Taken aback and thrown off balance by the unexpected attack, the victims would often not be able to get a good look at the thieves, the police said.

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The 23 phones seized from their possession have been valued at Rs 1.16 lakh, and the motorbike at Rs 25,000, said the police. While the Samta Nagar and Kalachowkie police stations have confirmed the hand of the accused in thefts committed in 2014 and 2015, respectively, the police believe the men committed nearly 30 such thefts.

Kulkrani added that Shaikh had served a one-year prison sentence in the Nashik jail for cellphone and two-wheeler theft cases registered at Gamdevi, N M Joshi and Marine Drive police stations and, was a wanted accused in the records of the L T Marg police station in two cases.

Shinde, on the other hand, had been released on bail after being arrested by the N M Joshi police station and was wanted for separate offences by the D B Marg and L T Marg police stations, the police said.

mumbai.newsline@expressindia.com