The Thane Rural Crime Branch has achieved a major breakthrough by arresting a chain snatcher involved in multiple theft cases. On October 2, 2025, around noon, a woman walking from Manivali Phata to Suryanagar in Bhiwandi was targeted by two unidentified men on a black Honda motorcycle (MH-04/8891). The accused forcefully snatched her gold mangalsutra weighing 9.150 grams, valued at ₹70,000, and fled the scene. Her son, Pralhad Rajaram Thakre, aged 30, lodged a complaint at the Ganeshpuri Police Station, leading to the registration of a case under Sections 309 and 304 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Following the incident, Superintendent of Police Dr. D. S. Swami and Additional SP Anmol Mittal of Thane Rural Police directed the local crime branch and Ganeshpuri Police to take swift action. Senior Police Inspector Sandeep Gite and Police Inspector Kamlesh Bachchhav formed special teams to identify and track down the culprits. Through extensive surveillance and coordination between departments, the investigating officers collected CCTV footage, analyzed technical evidence, and deployed informants in different areas to trace the accused involved in the snatching incidents across the Bhiwandi and Shahapur regions.
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Based on the gathered intelligence, the police detained Rushant Balu Chaudhary (33), a resident of Koshivade, Shahapur, for questioning. During interrogation, he confessed to the Manivali Phata crime as well as two other similar offences registered at Pashid and Shahapur police stations. Police recovered gold ornaments worth ₹2,19,000 and seized the black Honda CB ExTuder motorcycle (MH-04 GA 8891) used in the thefts. The accused has been handed over to Ganeshpuri Police Station for further legal proceedings, while efforts are on to trace his associates and investigate possible links to other snatching cases in the area.
Under the guidance of SP Dr. D. S. Swami and Additional SP Anmol Mittal, the operation was executed by a skilled team comprising API Mahesh Kadam, police personnel Santosh Surve, Govind Koli, Swapnil Bodke, Pivale, and officers from Ganeshpuri Police Station led by PI Kamlesh Bachchhav and API Umesh Khird. The officials’ coordinated and swift response helped solve the case efficiently. Police praised the team’s professional and commendable performance, while further investigation continues under API Umesh Khird to determine the accused’s involvement in other similar offences across Thane district.