Two alleged repeat offenders were arrested for snatching a gold chain in broad daylight near Mithakhali in Ahmedabad, following a surveillance operation that spanned multiple parts of the city. The local crime branch (LCB) of Zone-1 apprehended the suspects after reviewing footage from more than 500 CCTV cameras and tracking their movements.
Arrests Solve Six Chain-Snatching Cases
Police announced on Saturday that the arrests have led to the resolution of six chain-snatching cases registered across various police station limits, including Navrangpura, Sabarmati, Shahibaug, Ranip, Maninagar, and Khokhra. The breakthrough came during the investigation of a case reported on May 8.
According to police, a man was returning home after visiting a Jain Derasar in Mithakhali when he was targeted near Vaidehi Apartments around 9:30 am. Two men on a motorcycle approached him, and the pillion rider snatched a gold chain from his neck before fleeing. A case was registered with Navrangpura police.
Extensive CCTV Analysis Led to Suspects
Police formed multiple teams and analyzed CCTV footage from across the area. Officials said they examined footage from more than 500 cameras and traced the suspects’ route towards Paldi and Narayan Nagar. Based on these leads, police maintained continuous surveillance in the Narayan Nagar area for several days before apprehending the suspects along with the motorcycle allegedly used in the crimes.
The arrested men were identified as Pankaj Parmar, a 44-year-old resident of Vasna originally from Rajasthan, and Laxmansingh Chauhan, a 38-year-old native of Rajasthan. Police said a third accused, Asha Thakkar, has been named in the case and remains absconding. Police suspect she acted as a receiver of stolen property.
Criminal Histories and Recovered Items
During the operation, police recovered cash worth Rs 2 lakh and three mobile phones. Officials said both arrested men have criminal records. Parmar has 10 cases registered against him, including offenses in Bapunagar, Odhav, Shahibaug, Ramol, and three cases with Athwalines police in Surat. Chauhan has two cases registered against him in Odhav. Police added that Thakkar also has a long record, with eight cases registered against her at Nikol, Sardarnagar, Navrangpura, Odhav, Adalaj, and Modasa Town police stations.
