After weeks of sustained investigation, the Santacruz Police has cracked a major chain-snatching case of a retired banker and arrested a notorious Irani gang member with a long criminal history across Mumbai and Thane, officials said.

According to the police, on August 23, 2025, at around 6:40 am, complainant a 77-year-old, a retired banker, was on his morning walk near Beasant Road, Santacruz (West), when two unidentified men on a motorcycle approached him under the pretext of asking for directions to a temple. While engaging him in conversation, the pillion rider allegedly snatched his gold chain and fled. Rangnekar immediately chased the duo, but they escaped. He then lodged a complaint at Santacruz Police Station, where a case was registered under IPC Section 304, police said.

Under the guidance of Additional CP Paramjit Singh Dahiya (West Region), DCP Dikshit Gedam, ACP Maruti Pandit, a team was formed including Senior PI Yogesh Shinde (Santacruz Police) and PI Chandrakant Kamble (Crime), while the probe was led by PSI Sanjay Kalhatkar and PSI Tushar Sawant along with a dedicated detection team, said an official.

A special crime detection team swung into action, scanning over 250–350 CCTV camera footages from government and private establishments in the area. With the help of technical analysis and informers, the police tracked the suspects to Patil Nagar, Irani Wasti, Ambivli (Kalyan). A trap was laid, and one accused was arrested, the police said.

The accused has been identified as Hussaini Mukhtar Irani alias Ghazni (26), a resident of Patil Nagar, Irani Wasti, Ambivli (West), Kalyan. Police said he is a habitual offender with more than a dozen past cases of robbery, chain-snatching, and assault registered against him at police stations in Khadakpada, Vitthalwadi, Vartak Nagar, Mahatma Phule, Dombivli, Kolsewadi, and Manpada, a police official said.

He further said that the investigation is underway to trace the accomplice and recover the stolen chain.

Source