Mumbai;Six chain-snatchings in 30 mins

Mumbai: Sunday saw a spurt in chain-snatching crimes with seven gold chains, collectively worth Rs 3 lakh, being yanked off the victims' necks in the city. Of these, six chains weresnatchedwithin a span of 30 minutes in the Bandra-Khar area.Mostof the victims areelderly women. 

    All the incidents took place early in the morning. Even the modus operandi was the same—the thieves came on motorcycles and sped away after snatching the victims' chains. Going by the description given by the victims, cops feel the six chain-snatchings are the handiworkof thesameduo. 
    An officer attached to the Khar police station confirmed that five incidents of chainsnatching were reported. "But only two FIRs have been lodged. Wehaveincludedthe names of the three other victims as witnesses," saidtheofficer. 
    The first incident took place outside Saint Andrew's church in Bandra around 7.15am when 66-year-old Mary Mendonca was returning home after attending Sunday Mass. A bike zoomed past her and the pillion rider snatchedher goldchain. 
    "Before she could realize what had happened, the bikers fled. When I learnt that my neighbour was robbed, I took her to Khar police station. There, we found five more persons with similar complaints,'' said Dillion Pariera, a resident of Khar Danda. 
    In another chain-snatching incident, a 46-year-old housewife,Nita Mahatre,was robbed of her gold mangalsutra worth Rs 87,000 by a motorcyclist in Sewree.