Mystery thief giving Mumbai police grief

The Khar police are at their wits’ end to nab a chain snatcher who is active on the Carter road promenade.

According to the cops, the man hides in the thick mangroves at the Khar end of the promenade and targets walkers and joggers. He identifies a victim, pounces on her, snatches her chain and gold ornaments, and withdraws into the mangroves in a flash and disappears.

The police say the man is in his mid-twenties, is tall and has dark complexion. Security has been intensified near the area, after at least eight cases were reported in the last two weeks. Almost all the incidents occurred after sunset.

The police said that though they have been successful in stopping chain-snatching by bikers, the mangrove man has been single-handedly giving grief to the people in the area. “We feel scared to even take a walk near the area,” said Sushmita Nair, a local resident.

“After receiving information from the public, we have posted police personnel near the stretch. Help from people of the nearby fishing village is also being taken,” said senior police inspector Mangesh Pote of the Khar police station. Sources said policemen disguised as vendors have also been deployed to nab the man.