Mumbai: Dish & antenna repairer turned chain snatcher caught in first attempt itself

The Manpada Police on Saturday, April 16, 2022, arrested a 40-year-old dish and antenna repairer, who turned chain snatcher to make easy money. He planned to target senior citizens and snatch as many as ornaments possible to make easy money said a police official from Manpada Police station in Dombivli.

The accused after losing his job at a private company started working as a dish and antenna repairer but was not able to meet his family's daily needs. On Friday, he looted a senior citizen of her two gold chains worth Rs 1,40,000 and caught the eye.

Avinash Vanwe, Assistant Police Inspector of Manpada Police station said, "The victim Shobha Devidas Halankar (63), who is a housewife and a resident of Trimbak Garden in PNT Colony at Nandivali Road in Dombivli (West) was going in her flat when the accused Ravindra Bhagwan Gholap (40), a resident of Vashi in Navi Mumbai snatched two gold chains weighing 26 grams from behind and ran away. Halankar chased Gholap who was on the run and got into the hands of a police team patrolling the area who later arrested Gholap."

Vanwe further added, "During the investigation, we came to know that he lost his private job during the lockdown and thereafter he started doing dish and antenna repairing job because he was known the job. Even after hard work, he was not able to meet the daily needs of his family so he planned on snatching chains of senior citizens to make easy money. Halankar was his first victim but he failed in his first attempt and he was arrested."

The Manpada Police station has recovered gold chains weighing 26 grams worth Rs 1,40,000 and a bike worth Rs 40,000 from him. The accused has been sent to police custody for two days and a case under Indian Penal Code (IPC) section 392 is registered against him.