There’s a message in a blue water bottle and a Rs 20 Unified Payments Interface (UPI)  transaction. These helped Vakola police recently crack a chain-snatching case in Santacruz East and arrest a 22-year-old man from Silvassa in Dadra and Nagar Haveli.

The incident, which took place earlier this month, involved a young, pregnant woman returning home from work. According to the police, the accused followed her into a lane beside Demello Compound, near Datt Mandir Road, and allegedly snatched her gold mangalsutra before fleeing. Investigators examined footage from around 200 to 300 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras. The police initially circulated his images to police stations across Mumbai but received no useful leads.