Chain snatcher who robbed 4 arrested at Nakabandi

The Andheri police on Sunday evening arrested a chain-snatcher who had robbed four persons before being caught at a nakabandi on the Western Express Highway. The accused’s accomplice, however, managed to flee.

The Andheri police on Sunday evening arrested a chain-snatcher who had robbed four persons before being caught at a nakabandi on the Western Express Highway. The accused’s accomplice, however, managed to flee.

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According to the Andheri police, at around 4.30 pm on Sunday, the 35-year-old complainant, Pranjal Farate, a resident of Vile Parle (East) was travelling along the southbound stretch of the Andheri flyover in a taxi with her husband and son. When she reached the AK junction on the Highway, two men on a motorcycle (MH 02 AB 3672) approached Farate’s side of the taxi and the pillion rider tried to pull her gold chain.

“Farate’s husband tried to push the accused away when he injured his thumb, as the chain broke. The accused made away with part of the broken chain,” said P Gosavi, senior inspector of the Andheri police.

However, after travelling further, the duo noticed that there was a nakabandi at the end of the flyover, after which they panicked and turned the bike around to go via the north-bound stretch. However, the pillion rider, Wasim Aziz Kureshi, a 27-year-old resident of Mahim (West), fell off the bike and was caught by the police while the man who was riding the bike, Samir Shaikh, 27 managed to flee.

The police said that Kureshi and Shaikh are history sheeters and have several cases of robbery registered against them at various police stations in the city.

“We have been able to recover the complainant’s chain, worth Rs. 15,000. Besides, we have also recovered three gold chains, collectively worth Rs. 2.15 lakh, Rs. 8,980 in cash and Saudi Arabian riyals worth Rs. 18,120 from Kureshi. A hunt is on to trace Shaikh,” said Gosavi.

The police said that in the two hours before robbing the complainant, the accused had first struck at Mira Road, then at Borivli and further at Vakola.