A 22-year-old chain snatcher, who had allegedly swallowed a part of the gold chain when he was arrested last week, is becoming a tough nut to crack with the Dindoshi police in Malad (east) trying to retrieve the chain from his body.
According to investigating officer, sub-inspector Dighambar Dhasine, a sonography was conducted on the accused, Imran Shaikh, and a part of the metal was seen in his stomach. However, Shaikh has not been eating for the past two days and also refuses to answer nature’s call.
“It is getting difficult to recover the part of the chain from his stomach. He bangs his head against the wall in the lock-up and then complains before the magistrate in the court that we have assaulted him. He seems to be a hardened criminal. He has a prior criminal record as well. We will seek his further custody to retrieve the part of gold in his body,” added Mr Dhasine.
Shaikh was chased and arrested last Thursday afternoon while he was running away after snatching a gold chain off the neck of 28-year-old victim, Sunanda Kadam. The incident took place near Gokuldham in Goregaon (east).
Shaikh was stalking Kadam while she was walking on the Aarey Bhaskar Road. Shaikh approached from the rear and snatched the chain worth `37, 500 and tried to escape from the spot. But, patrolling policemen nabbed him.
Even as some part of the chain was found in Shaikh’s pocket, he swallowed some part of the broken chain. Shaikh has been booked under robbery section of the Indian Penal Code. He is a resident of Santosh Nagar in Goregaon (east).