Brave schoolteacher catches chain snatcher

A 26-year-old school teacher caught an armed chain snatcher with the help of locals and two police constables, on Monday.

A 26-year-old school teacher caught an armed chain snatcher with the help of locals and two police constables, on Monday.

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The incident took place around 10.15 pm when Sangeeta Thorat, a schoolteacher, was returning to her residence at Vashi Naka, from a grocery store.

She was attacked by Romeo Skaria, 22, and an unidentified accomplice, while passing the Tembi bridge in Chembur.

Skaria and his accomplice were on foot and accosted Thorat, threatening her to hand over her gold chain, weighing 10 gm. Thorat sustained minor injuries on the neck.

In her complaint to the Chembur police, Thorat said, “When I tried to push Skaria, he pulled the gold chain from my neck and held a chopper to my neck. The locals, hearing my shouts for help, attacked Skaria.”

Skaria’s accomplice fled the spot while a gathering crowd was beating Skaria up.

Thorat was also assisted by two constables, Dhingle and Khaire, who intervened on spotting the commotion. They were off duty at the time.

On interrogation, it was found that Skaria had seven to eight cases of chain snatching registered against him in police stations across the city.

Skaria was presented before the local court, which remanded him in police custody till April 30.