Senior citizen, rickshaw driver catch chain-snatcher

Pune: For their heroic act, Commissioner of Police Meeran Borwankar felicitated 65-year-old Murlidhar Deshpande and auto rickshaw driver Umesh Suryawanshi at the police commissionerate.

"My wife and I went for a walk at 6 am and when we were in front of the Shaniwarwada, a youth came from behind and snatched my wife's gold chain worth Rs 1.75 lakh," Mr Deshpande said. "He started running away, but I gave chase and caught hold of him near Surya hospital."

Mr Deshpande said when he caught hold of the chain-snatcher, rickshaw driver Suryawanshi, who was standing next to his auto, helped him to restrain the accused.

"We made him sit in the rickshaw and went to the Faraskhana police station," Mr Deshpande said. The police identified the accused as Pravin Kamalakar Patole (25).

"We're investigating whether Patole was involved in other chain-snatching cases," Senior Police Inspector Anant Rajeshirke of the Faraskhana police station said.