Army wife catches thief

Wife of brigadier catches mangalsutra-snatcher by his collar, refuses to let go till arrival of police

It was business as usual for Firoz Khan. He eyed Swati Ghatpande's gold mangalsutra, saw his chance, and snatched it. But what happened next was stuff that Bollywood films are made of. Ghatpande caught him by his collar and would not let him go till the police arrived.

Kondhwa resident Khan (36) has been booked in 18 serious body and property offences. The incident took place on October 27 around 6.15 pm when Ghatpande, wife of Brigadier Satish Ghatpande, was returning home. "I was on Sanshree Road when Khan tried to seize my mangalsutra," Ghatpande said.

Khan was faking a call when Ghatpande passed by him on the footpath. It was then that he attempted to snatch her chain. "I screamed for help and literally kept hanging on to his collar till the police arrived," she said.

The police arrived within 10 minutes. Meanwhile, the locals in Kondhwa pounced on Khan. Ghatpande lodged a complaint at the Kondhwa police station.

Khan had been arrested for murder by the Nagpada police in 1991 and released on bail. Khan had filed an appeal in the Bombay High Court.

"The thief was almost successful in getting hold of my chain when I turned and clutched his collar. I don't know what got into me, it was an impulse move," said Ghatpande.u00a0

Gift from mother
The mangalsutra was worth Rs 42,000 and was a gift from her mother. She said, "The emotional attachment must have jerked me to take this fearless and daring step. He was tall and hefty and when I caught him, he hit me on shoulder and hurt my fingers. I don't know why but I couldn't let him go."

Ghatpande never wore her expensive mangalsutra outside her home. The incident happened the day she decided to make an exception.

"This was the first time and will probably be the last time I wear it outside," she said.