Notorious snatcher behind 10 incidents held

The Detective Staff of the Panchkula Police has arrested a notorious snatcher involved in at least 10 incidents of snatching. The accused has been identified as Abhishek Ojha, a resident of Agra, Uttar Pradesh.

A science graduate, he was employed in the private sector in Mohali, while he resided in Sector 7, Panchkula. He had previously been arrested in several cases and was currently out on bail.

The police received a tip-off that the accused was hiding in Moga district of Punjab. Acting swiftly, the Detective Staff team launched a raid and apprehended him on November 18.

Arvind Kamboj, ACP, Crime, said the accused had targeted women walking alone and he committed three snatchings in Panchkula. He would roam on sector roads where women typically went for morning or evening walks or to local markets. The police also recovered Rs 1,60,000 in cash earned by selling stolen gold chains and fragments from him.

Detective Staff in-charge Mandeep Singh said Abhishek had not only committed offences in Panchkula, but was also involved in five snatching cases in Chandigarh. Besides, he was facing two snatching cases and one Arms Act case in Agra. His crime record indicates that he frequently changed his hideouts to evade arrest.

The accused was produced in a court today which remanded him in judicial custody.