The arrested accused has been identified as Kumar Babu Chavan, a resident of Bonkode, Koparkhairane.
He was remanded to police custody till October 1. Police also recovered eight gold mangalsutras and chains weighing 68.84 grams and worth Rs 7.92 lakh, along with the scooty worth Rs 50,000 allegedly used by Chavan in the crimes. Vikas Ghodake, senior inspector of Crime Branch Unit-1, said the arrested accused, Chavan, was addicted to online gambling games on his mobile phone. From his attire, body language and the grey scooty used in the crime, on September 25, around 6.40 pm, the suspect riding his scooter, wearing a helmet, was spotted in Sector 7, Vashi.
The arrested accused has been identified as Kumar Babu Chavan, a resident of Bonkode, Koparkhairane. With Chavan’s arrest, eight chain-snatching cases have been detected. These include five cases registered at Sanpada, two at Vashi and one at Koparkhairane police station. After losing money, he allegedly resorted to chain snatching, sold the stolen gold ornaments to jeweller Kumawat and used the money to gamble again in an attempt to recover his losses and make a profit. The suspect was zeroed in on by scanning several CCTV camera footages. As constables Chandrakant Kadam and Sagar Sonwalkar signalled at him to stop, he attempted to speed away. The constables blocked his way and caught him when he struggled to free himself. But he was overpowered and escorted to Vashi police station.”