‘Most wanted’ chain snatcher nabbed

A notorious thief, Shrikesh Maurya, was arrested in Mumbai for multiple chain snatchings, evading police with clever tactics and leading a double life.

MUMBAI: A notorious and habitual chain snatcher and thief with more than 15 cases registered against him was arrested at Lokmanya Tilak Terminus (LTT) on Saturday. Dubbed by police as ‘most wanted’, Shrikesh Jai Prakash Maurya, 31, is a native of Uttar Pradesh (UP). He would ride the trains from UP to Mumbai, snatch the chains of co-passengers, and return to UP to duck the police. It’s a tactic that had railway police units across the state looking for him, said police sub-inspector (detection) VR Shinde, with the Government Railway Police of the Lokmanya Tilak Terminus Railway Police.

‘Most wanted’ chain snatcher nabbed

During a search, helmed by senior police inspector Jabbar Tamboli, police recovered gold jewellery worth ₹2.88 lakhs from Maurya. Police said he has been arrested in connection with three chain snatchings and luggage thefts committed within a month—all committed after his release from jail four months ago.

The accused employs a cunning modus operandi. He would enter railway stations posing as a passenger, armed with a ticket. The moment an opportunity arose, he would snatch a chain from a passenger’s neck and, instead of fleeing across the platform, would jump onto the railway tracks. He would run past three or four coaches, re-enter the train, and exit from a different point. It’s a manoeuvre that allowed him to evade detection by CCTV cameras.