Chain snatcher who attacked policemen with knife arrested

MUMBAI: Prompt policing by two beat marshals lead to the arrest of a 21-year-old chain snatcher, who tried to attack them with a knife, at Santacruz on Thursday.

The accused Mani Toraiyaa Wadiniyar, who snatched the chain of a passerby at SV Road, is a history sheeter with over 15 cases against him.

According to police naik, Vijay Kumar Shendarkar, he was patrolling the streets with constable Deepak Bagal, when, at 11.30am, they heard a scream.

When they reached the spot, they found the complainant in pain and Mani running towards a bylane. “We parked the motorcycle and chased him for a few metres before we caught hold of him. However, he threatened us with a knife,” said Shendarkar.

The constables then tackled Mani and arrested him.

The officers said that Mani had several cases registered against him at Vakola police station. Shriram Koregaonkar, senior police inspector of Santacruz police station said that Mani was arrested and the gold chain was recovered. The officers said that the complainant, who works for a private company, was walking towards the railway station, when the incident took place.

“Mani used to snatch chains on a motorcycle. However, after a crackdown on bike-borne robbers, he started committing the robberies on foot. He used bylanes of the area to get away after the crime so he was not spotted on CCTVS installed on main roads,” said the officer.

Police said after chain snatching by bike borne men reduced in the city owing to CCTVS, many have started attacking their targets and fleeing on foot.

THE 21YEAROLD CHAIN SNATCHER IS A HISTORY SHEETER WITH OVER 15 CASES REGISTERED AGAINST HIM