Mumbai: Powai police arrested a 28-year-old man within 24 hours of a gold-chain snatching in which a tuition teacher’s dress was torn, leaving her traumatised, on Sept 6. Two motorcycle-borne thieves allegedly snatched the woman’s chain, worth Rs 2.2 lakh, before escaping through a slum lane in Powai. Police recovered the stolen chain and are searching for the pillion rider involved in the snatching.Police identified the rider as Akash Khatikmore (28) and tracked him to Vinoba Bhave Nagar in Kurla (W) after examining footage from at least 40 closed-circuit television cameras along the escape route. The complainant, Sheetal Bumrah (48), told police she had noticed “54” on the motorcycle’s number plate. Investigators traced the vehicle using the two digits and an orange logo on the motorcycle.DCP (West Zone-3) said Khatikmore was traced to Vinoba Bhave Nagar in Kurla (West) after police examined footage from at least 40 CCTV cameras at the scene and along the suspects’ escape route.The two motorcycle-borne men snatched a chain from Sheetal Bumrah (48) after she stopped her scooter to check directions on Google Maps while travelling with Jaswinder (70) from Andheri to Powai at 11.30 am in Sept. “The force of the snatching tore my dress at the shoulder. I chased the suspects, but they escaped through narrow lanes in a slum pocket. We were heading to gurdwara Punjabi Sabha in Hiranandani for a relative’s funeral ceremony at 1 pm,” she told TOI.Bumrah praised the swift action of sub-inspectors Navnath Dhekle, Prashant Tayade and Rahul Patil, and assistant inspector Pranod Mane, who helped calm her after she entered the police station frightened and shaken by the incident. Mane said an orange logo and the digits 54 on the motorcycle, as described by Bumrah, helped police identify the suspects in CCTV footage and trace their route to Kurla. Khatikmore, a history-sheeter, was allegedly involved in two other snatching cases in Ghatkopar and Jogeshwari that day.Senior inspector AS Sawant said Khatikmore had previously been arrested and jailed but was out on bail. “When Bumrah visited the police station, she was totally scared. She first called the police control number 100 who directed her to the police station,” sub-inspector Patil said.
