Akash Londhe, a 30-year-old man, who was arrested from Pune on Tuesday in connection with a chain-snatching incident that took place in Ghatkopar on May 20, has revealed that this was his first attempt at chain snatching, driven by the need to repay a Rs 3.5 lakh loan he had taken to spend on his girlfriend, police said. Londhe told the police that he had been in a relationship with the woman for the past seven years. Unable to manage the financial burden and repay the loan, he resorted to snatching a gold chain.
Interestingly, just before the chain-snatching incident, Londhe had met his girlfriend and dropped her off at the railway station, and the CCTV footage helped the police identify and trace the woman, which eventually led to Londhe’s arrest. Initially, the police had no concrete leads. However, CCTV footage from nearby areas showed the accused on his bike, although the number plate was not visible.
A CCTV grab of the accused on May 20. The police examined footage from 350 CCTV cameras to track him down
Speaking to mid-day, investigation officer API Kailas Tirmare of Ghatkopar police station said, “The incident occurred around 7 pm on May 20, but the CCTV footage was blurry. We analysed the reverse movement of the bike and discovered that he had met a woman before the incident. He spent some time with her and later dropped her at Ghatkopar railway station. We were able to trace the woman via CCTV, which led us to the accused.”
A resident of Ghatkopar, Londhe confessed, saying, “I spent a lot of money on my girlfriend, took her to expensive hotels, and even bought a high-end bike worth `1.5 lakh to impress her. I also gave her money as financial help.” These expenses left him in severe debt, said police, adding he had borrowed money from a friend who had started pressuring him for repayment. Desperate for quick money, Londhe decided to commit the theft.
“The accused told us he had been in a relationship with the woman for seven years. He took a `3.5 lakh loan to help her financially, as she was in urgent need of money. However, he failed to pay the EMIs. He also borrowed money from a friend and bought a sports bike to impress her, along with spending heavily on expensive meals at hotels. These expenses pushed him into financial distress, and he decided to commit chain snatching.
On May 20, the victim, Ranjana Ghutukade, a resident of Bhatwadi in Ghatkopar, was walking along the road when Londhe, who was on a motorcycle, snatched the gold chain from her neck and pushed her violently, causing serious injuries. She immediately approached the police and got a complaint registered, following which an investigation was launched, said police. “The accused works in a corporate roti supply business and has no prior criminal record. This was his first offence. We checked over 350 CCTV cameras to track him down in Pune and recovered the stolen gold chain,” added API Tirmare.
