Criminal held, 2 chain-snatching cases solved

Pune: The Khadak police have solved one house break-in and two chain-snatching cases after the arrest of a criminal on Wednesday last week. Police also recovered gold ornaments worth Rs 2.26 lakh from a jeweller, who allegedly bought the jewellery from the suspect.
The arrested has been identified as Karan Kohli, who belongs to a well-to-do family from Punjab, and was currently staying at Wadarwadi in Pune.He has 22 cases, including those of robberies, chain snatching and house break-ins, registered against with the city police. He was also involved in over 70 chain-snatching cases in Ahmednagar.
Kohli was arrested on February 11 following a tip-off received by Sarfraj Shaikh, a police constable attached to the Khadak police station. “Shaikh got the information that a criminal, who was involved in a chain-snatching case that took place on Shankarsheth Road on December 2014, was visiting Mahatama Phule Market. We laid a trap and arrested Kohli,” said Sanjay Gaikwad, who is investigating the case.
During interrogation, Kohli admitted to his involvement in the chain-snatching case, Gaikwad said. “He also revealed his involvement in one more chain-snatching case and a house break-in theft. He informed police that he sold the gold ornaments to three different jewellers in Deglur in Nanded district. We have recovered 84g of gold ornaments worth Rs 2.26 lakh from the jewelers so far,” he added.
Kohli had his schooling from Panchgani near Mahabaleshwar, police said. “He was arrested by the Pune crime branch in April 2011 in connection with a chain snatching case. After his release from jail, he formed a new gang with jail inmates and again started committing chain snatchings,” police said.
In November 2011, Kohli and his accomplices were arrested by the Sahakarnagar police. Gold ornaments worth Rs 5 lakh were recovered from the gang then. In April 2013, the Deccan Gymkhana police had arrested him for a chain snatching near Mutha riverbed, Gaikwad said, adding that Kohli was released from jail in May 2014. “He snatched two gold chains and was also involved in a burglary thereafter,” he said.
The investigating team comprised police constables Suresh Sonawane, Vishal Shinde, Mahendra Pawar and Ashok Mane.