4 held,police claim 12 chain-snatching cases cracked

Senior police inspector Chandrakanth Ghodke said,“We arrested the four on January 5 when they were preparing for an armed robbery. Interrogations revealed their involvement in 12 chain-snatching cases registered at Kothrud,Warje Malwadi and Bharati Vidyapeeth police stations. We nabbed them from a shack in a secluded spot in Vadgaon Dhayari,where they were staying for the past few months.” Another member of the gang managed to flee,he added.

“They chose victims only at places from where they could go out of the city limits as soon as possible. Two persons on a bike used to snatch chains while two others on another bike would be behind them for back-up.”

He added,“We again advise people to avoid secluded places in the evening and avoid wearing costly ornaments,especially when walking alone,” said Ghodke.

The police have also nabbed a middleman,Sachin Kamble,and a jeweller,Atul Shahane,who acted as receivers for the stolen ornaments. The investigation was supervised by ACP Vitthal Harihar and DCP Dnyaneshwar Phadtare.

Among the ‘weapons’ seized from the four suspects was a gas lighter that resembled a pistol of foreign make. Ghodke said,“They used it to threaten people in some of the armed robbery cases.”