Alert vendors teach chain snatcher a lesson

The two chain snatchers on a bike might have done this many times — follow the target, snatch her chain and speed away.

But Sunday morning was not their day.

The two had been following Pushpa Choudhary, 25, and her friend who were walking towards an Ayurveda centre on SV Road at Andheri (West) on Sunday morning. They smoothly drove close to the women and the pillion rider snatched Choudhary's gold chain.

As the biker accelerated, the black Bajaj Pulsar skid and the two fell. The pillion rider's leg got caught in the two-wheeler's wheel. By then, Choudhary had already raised an alarm and was screaming for help.

The biker, who was unhurt, saw that the crime stint had gone awry. Leaving his accomplice to face the music, he escaped from the spot.

Some newspaper vendors, who had heard the women's cry for help, had already started running towards the bike and the thief, who couldn't get up. The vendors thrashed the chain snatcher and seized the stolen jewellery from him.

The perfect climax followed.

A police beat marshal, on a special Sunday patrolling, reached the spot and arrested 22-year-old Dheeraj Kanaujia, who said he was a tailor from Bharat Nagar, Bandra (East).

"We found out that the bike they used for the crime was stolen from Bandra-Kurla Complex on Friday night. We are investigating if the vehicle was used for any other crime or if they used other vehicles for similar criminal activities," said Manish Awale, assistant police inspector.

The police have decided not to disclose the identity of the other accused until he is arrested.

Awale added that there have been more than 15 chain-snatching incidents in the west region in last few days. The chain snatchers usually target morning walkers and women.