23-year-old son of a vegetable vendor chases chain-snatcher through Pratiksha Nagar market. Perpetrator manages to fling the chain in a drain before being caught
Ashish Sorate is deserving of the khaki. The 23-year-old son of a vegetable vendor, who aspires to join the police force, chased chain-snatchers and nabbed one of them in Pratiksha Nagar last week. He has now been felicitated by the Wadala TT police.
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Ashish Sorate at his father’s vegetable stall. Pic/Pradeep Dhivar
On Saturday morning, Laxmibai Shirshat (75), wearing a gold chain worth Rs 60,000, was headed for the Pratiksha Nagar market when two men — Ravi Kavle (28) and another whose name has not been disclosed — approached her, and told her that their boss was a top businessman whose wife had recently given birth to a boy after 14 years of marriage. They claimed that as part of the celebrations, their boss was gifting cash and gold to senior citizens. They, however, told Shirshat they would gift her the gold only if she removed the chain around her neck.
Ravi Kavle and another man convince Laxmibai Shirshat to part with her gold chain. Illustration/Uday Mohite
Falling for the ruse, she took off the chain and placed it in a handkerchief given by the duo. The two men then snagged the chain and ran.
As soon as she gives the chain worth Rs 60,000 to them, the men flee
Chase through market
As soon as Shirshat raised an alarm, passersby ran after the men. Sorate, who was at his father’s vegetable stall at the time, joined the chase. Seeing that Sorate was on his heels, Kavle even threw a stone at him. But refusing to be cowed down, Sorate continued to chase him through the market. Knowing that his time was up, Kavle threw the chain in a drain running parallel to the road. Right then, Sorate jumped at him and knocked him down. But the other man escaped.
Read Story: Mumbai crime: Police informer turns chain snatcher to marry girlfriend
Throwing all caution to the wind, Ashish Sorate (23) chases the two men through the Pratiksha Nagar market
By this time, the mob caught up with them and began to thrash Kavle. He was taken to the Wadala TT police station, where he pointed out that since he didn’t have a chain on him, the crime couldn’t be pinned on him.
He catches up with Kavle and knocks him down. Kavle flings the chain in a parallel drain. The other chain snatcher escapes
Lucky break
The police went to the spot for a punchnama and spotted a CCTV camera facing the road where all the action went down. The camera belonged to a local, Manjrekar. Police found footage of Kavle getting rid of the chain, trawled the drain and recovered it.
The mob catches up with them and beats Kavle up. All of this, including the chain being thrown into the drain, is caught on a CCTV camera
Sushil Kamble, senior inspector, lauded Sorate and Manjrekars’ efforts in bringing the culprits to book. “We want the common people to be our eyes and ears and help clean up society.” Sorate, who was felicitated along with the Manjrekar family, said he has sat for the police exam twice. “I will attempt it once again. I’m hopeful of clearing it this time.”
Kavle is handed over to the Wadala TT police, who, with the help of the CCTV camera, trace the chain in the drain
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