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Pune: A 44-year-old man allegedly involved in more than 70 chain-snatching cases across Maharashtra was arrested in connection with a chain-snatching incident reported in Aundh on Oct 20. A team headed by senior inspector Uttam Bhajnawale and sub-inspector Aniket Pote nabbed the suspect identified as Rajabhau alias Raju Rathod (44), a resident of Latur. Police were probing a chain-snatching case in which the suspect targeted a 70-year-old woman and snatched her chain worth over Rs3 lakh around 9 am on Oct 20. Following the incident, they examined footage from more than 250 CCTV cameras over the past 10 days to trace his movements and identify him.
Chatushrungi police said the suspect bought a new motorcycle to execute chain snatchings in the city. After establishing his identity and tracking his movements, the police finally traced him to the Hadapsar area. A team pursued him for some distance before managing to apprehend him. Police are further investigating his involvement in other chain-snatching cases in other parts of the state.