Pune: An elderly couple from Rahatani on Tuesday morning foiled a chain-snatching bid after the accused had already managed to snatch the woman’s gold chain worth Rs3.80 lakh, just a few metres from their residential building.Despite being dragged on the road, the woman did not release her grip on the metal ‘kada’ worn by the snatcher, helping her husband and passers-by nab the accused and hand him over to the Kalewadi police.
Senior police inspector Rajendra Bahirat later visited the woman and felicitated her for her bravery.“The police arrested chain snatcher Sanjay Lunakka (29) of Nanded. His two accomplices fled from the spot on a motorcycle,” Bahirat told TOI.Complainant Atmaram Mane (64), a retired senior government officer, said he and his wife had stepped out of their Rahatani housing society around 6am and were walking on the road when three men on a motorcycle crossed them and stopped at a distance.“One of them got down and walked towards us. We did not suspect anything,” Mane said.He said the accused could not snatch the chain while they were walking together. “I paused briefly after meeting an acquaintance. My wife crossed Nakhate Chowk and was walking alone when the man, who was following her, snatched her gold chain,” he said.Realising what had happened, the woman turned back and grabbed the man’s hands as he ran towards his accomplices.“In the scuffle, my wife caught hold of his ‘kada’. The man pushed her to the ground and dragged her, but she kept raising an alarm and did not let go,” Mane said.Hearing the commotion, Mane and a few passers-by, including autorickshaw drivers, rushed to help and caught the accused.“My wife suffered bruises on her hands and legs but did not allow him to escape,” he said.Bahirat said Lunakka has previous theft cases registered against him and that he and his accomplices had come to Pune about 15 days ago. “Investigations are on,” he added.
