Cops track calls to girlfriend to arrest chain-snatcher

Nagpur: City’s one of the most notorious chain-snatcher Swaroop Lokhande, 26, having around 54 offences, ran out of luck after Ajni cops managed to zero down upon him by tracking his communication with girlfriend, a minor, last week.
Lokhande, who had been slapped with Maharashtra control of organized crime Act (MCOCA) earlier, was booked for kidnapping and rape in the past too for having forcing himself upon another minor few years ago. His misadventure with minor girls for the second time landed Lokhande in police net after having committed at least 11 chain-snatchings and two bike thefts since his release from jail in October last year.
Ajni police, under supervision of Zonal DCP Raj Raushan Tilak, also arrested former bullion trader-turned-mobile shop owner Bharat Galbale alias Bunty for purchasing the stolen gold chains from Lokhande. Galbale too has seven offences against him, said DCP Tilak during a press conference at Ajni police station on Tuesday. He was flanked by Senior PI HL Orlagondawar and ACP RY Gharge.
Various police station squads and crime branch units were trying to nab Lokhande following a spurt in the cases of chain-snatching in the city in the past couple of months. Lokhande, who is known to ride in such speed that cops were finding it difficult to chase and also wore helmet to evade CCTV cameras, had eloped with a 15-year-old girl in June this year. An offence of kidnapping was registered against him at Ajni police station.
After fleeing, Lokhande started to snatch chains more to be able to rent a room, purchase household goods, television, fridge and so on to set up his family. He had rented a room at Wadi from where Ajni police team of sub-inspectors Kailash Magar, Sanjay Chappe and constable Deepak Tahekar, Ashish Raut, Shailesh Badodekar and others nabbed him.