A special court in Maharashtra's Thane district has acquitted two men accused of chain-snatching and involvement in an organised crime syndicate, citing the failure of investigators to establish their identity as the perpetrators and procedural lapses in the investigation.

Special Judge V G Mohite on Thursday acquitted Rijwan Ismail Shaikh and Mahammad Alam Aslam Qureshi of robbery charges under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and offences under the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) in connection with a 2022 chain-snatching incident.