A 22-year-old youth, accused of snatching away mobile phones from taxis that slow down ahead of traffic signals in South Mumbai, was arrested within 12 hours of an offence being registered at the JJ Marg police station.

Accused Abdul Kedar Qureshi was arrested after Sandeep Gupta, 29, registered a complaint after losing his phone near Bhendi Bazaar on March 17. Gupta had taken a taxi from Charni Road to Masjid Bunder and was busy chatting with his friend when the taxi reached SVP Road. "Just when the taxi stopped at the Bhendi Bazaar traffic signal, Qureshi, who had been following it, snatched the phone from the window before sprinting away," the police officer investigating the case said. While Gupta alighted the taxi to chase him, Qureshi had disappeared in the narrow lanes of the bazaar.