The accused managed to evade capture twice by handing over the stolen chain to another person, an official said
Representational Pic/File
The Charkop Police in Mumbai arrested two snatchers just 12 hours after they snatched a gold chain from a 62-year-old man while he was on a morning walk, the police said on Sunday.
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The police said that the accused, identified as Prathamesh Pawar and Akshay Yadav, were reportedly riding an Activa bike when they spotted the gold chain around the victim’s neck.
After following him for a while, they seized the opportunity to snatch the chain, valued at approximately Rs 90,000, and fled the scene, an official said.
A complaint was later lodged at the Charkop Police Station, and under the guidance of Senior Inspector Jyoti Bhople, an investigation was launched by API Bhushan Bhoye and PSI Aba Pawar, the official said.
Their team, including constables Amit Kamble, Swapnil Shinde, Ghanshyam Patekar, Ganesh Ware, and Hrishikesh More, reviewed multiple CCTV footage from the area. Despite poor lighting that obscured the suspects' faces and bike details, a distinctive colored strip on the bike's front helped provide a crucial lead, he said.
The accused managed to evade capture twice by handing over the stolen chain to another person. However, one of them was eventually caught with the bike in Malvani Ambujwadi. Following his arrest, the second suspect was also apprehended and confessed to the crime, though the stolen chain had not yet been recovered, the official added.
During interrogation, the suspects revealed the involvement of a third accomplice, who was identified as one Shaukat, to whom they had handed over the chain.
Shaukat was later arrested, but he has yet to disclose the location of the stolen item. Police reported that Shaukat, an alleged drug addict, was intoxicated at the time of his arrest and claimed he could not remember who he gave the chain to.
"The investigation is ongoing as we work to recover the stolen chain," said an officer from Charkop Police Station.
The trio was produced in court today and has been remanded to police custody.
It was also revealed during interrogation that Prathamesh Pawar has a prior criminal record from when he was a minor, the officer added.