PUNE: An elderly couple from Baner foiled a 26-year-old motorcycle rider’s chain-snatching attempt shortly after his accomplice had grabbed the woman’s gold chain worth Rs 65,000.
The incident occurred in the Murkute Garden area around 8.20pm on Saturday. The motorcyclist’s accomplice managed to flee the spot.
The woman, Geeta Rukmangad Bawane (68), and her husband were on an evening stroll when the incident took place.
The suspect — Dayanand Ashruba Gaikwad of Marunji — was handed over to the Chatushrungi police. Geeta lodged a complaint with the police on Saturday night.
The police also seized Gaikwad’s motorcycle following his arrest. The search for his accomplice is on, an officer said.
Geeta’s husband Rukmangad Bawane (75) told TOI, “We generally take a stroll for half-an-hour. A man came running from behind and snatched my wife’s gold chain. The chain broke in two pieces. The man took one piece and we have the other half,” he said.
“The man then ran towards a motorcycle and was about to sit pillion. I ran towards the vehicle and before the rider could start the bike, I grabbed its rear bar. My wife and I started shouting. The pillion rider, who had snatched the gold chain, ran away from the spot, but we did not lose our grip on the vehicle,” he said.
“The rider attempted to kick us twice and start the motorcycle, but we pulled the vehicle back both times. People soon gathered at the spot and helped us nab the motorcycle rider,” he said.
“We found toothpaste in his pocket. The toothpaste was used to hide the registration number of the motorcycle,” he said.