Thane crime: Out on bail, chain-snatcher commits 15 crimes in four months

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Released on bail four months ago, a 39-year-old chain-snatcher was back in action soon after. Since his release, Mohammed Israr Khan has snatched 15 gold chains. However, he landed in the police net once again after a similar incident in Ghodbunder Road area of Thane on Friday. The Kasarvadavali police said that further interrogation of the accused would reveal details of the other snatchings.

On Friday evening, a woman walking past the Dubba Garam Hotel near Haware City suddenly started crying for help when a biker snatched her chain and fled the spot. Cops in the area alerted the Kasarvadavali police and gave them details regarding the biker and the vehicle. The cops immediately set up a nakabandi.

"Around 9 pm we spotted a biker who was behaving strangely on seeing the cops. On being questioned, he confessed to having snatched a chain at Ghodbunder Road," said Kishore Khairnar, senior inspector of Kasarvadavali police station. "During interrogation he said he had committed 15 such crimes in Mumbai, Thane and Mira Road over the past four months," the officer added.

Khan, a resident of Mira Road, was arrested a year ago in a chain-snatching incident and was lodged in Taloja Jail. He was released four months back when jails were being decongested due to the pandemic. Police sources said that after he was released, he stole a bike from Bangur Nagar in Malad and started snatching chains again. The cops have recovered a gold chain, bike and mobile phone, total worth Rs 1.65 lakh from him.