Thane: Three youths go on phone-snatching spree; held

Kolshewadi police with the three persons held for phone-snatching. Pic/Navneet Barhate

The Kolshewadi police in Kalyan have arrested three persons for snatching four women's mobile phones within a span of two hours. The accused, all in their early 20s, claimed they were from the working class but got influenced to commit the crime after a minor encouraged them to mint quick money. They were traced with the help of CCTV footage.

According to the police, a group of three friends, identified as Akshay Ingole, Umesh Tare, and Sumit Patil, all from well-off families and with no financial crunch, were arrested for snatching mobile phones of four women in Kalyan East. The minor, who is yet to be detained, had apparently convinced the accused trio that they would get good money which they could spend for fun and leisure. The minor told them that they will never be caught by the police. After getting instigated by the minor, the trio snatched four mobile phones back-to-back within two hours.

Rattled by the sudden surge of mobile snatching in the area, the cops got alarmed and scanned CCTV of the crime spots and identified the perpetrators. The three have been sent to jail. According to the police, a complainant, Deepali Patil, 23, was walking near Haji Malang Road area when a scooter-borne youth snatched her cellphone and sped away. Patil rushed and registered an FIR. On the basis of this complaint, the police started a probe.