Akash Londhe, a 30-year-old man, who was arrested from Pune on Tuesday in connection with a chain-snatching incident that took place in Ghatkopar on May 20, has revealed that this was his first attempt at chain snatching, driven by the need to repay a Rs 3.5 lakh loan he had taken to spend on his girlfriend, police said. Londhe told the police that he had been in a relationship with the woman for the past seven years. Unable to manage the financial burden and repay the loan, he resorted to snatching a gold chain.

Interestingly, just before the chain-snatching incident, Londhe had met his girlfriend and dropped her off at the railway station, and the CCTV footage helped the police identify and trace the woman, which eventually led to Londhe’s arrest. Initially, the police had no concrete leads. However, CCTV footage from nearby areas showed the accused on his bike, although the number plate was not visible.

A CCTV  grab of the accused on May 20. The police examined footage from 350 CCTV cameras to track him down