RailEnquiry

MUMBAI: The nabbing of a chain-snatcher, SumitJawlekar (20), by a feisty woman who had chased him down at Mahalaxmi railway station last week has led to an entire racket of stolen jewellery being busted.The Government Railway Police (GRP) has arrested a central Mumbai jeweller, Jagdish Soni (50), who used to buy stolen ornaments from Jawlekar. An aide of Jawlekar, Kiran Yewle (23), too was arrested on Monday. Last Thursday, Vaishali Todankar (46) boarded a Virar-bound local, when Jawlekar barged in and snatched her 27gm gold chain. Todankar, a Mahalaxmi resident, works with the railways and was on her way to visit her sister. She was seated in a second-class compartment, close to the door, when Jawlekar targeted her around 2 pm.As Todankar resisted, Jawlekar pushed her back and jumped off the train just as it started moving. Though hurt, Todankar refused to cow down. She jumped off the local right after Jawlekar and chased him across platform 2 and raised an alarm. Other passengers and patrolling policemen joined the chase, eventually nabbing Jawlekar. Todankar's chain, worth Rs 72,000, was seized from Jawlekar."While in police custody, Jawlekar admitted to stealing ornaments from womens' handbags at Matunga and Mumbai Central in the past. Yewle would help him sell the booty," a senior GRP official said.

The police have learnt that Yewle had sold off two necklaces-10 gm and 14 gm-to Soni's Ambika Jewellers, located at Saat Rasta in central Mumbai. Soni was arrested under Section 411 of IPC for purchasing stolen property. A 10gm gold bar and a 14gm gold bar were recovered from him. The police are interrogating Jawlekar, Yewle and Soni. Jawlekar, a school dropout, resides at Dhobi Ghat, while Yewle stays at Saat Rasta.