Police invoke MCOCA against two chain-snatchers

Mahim Police have invoked the stringent Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against chain-snatchers Bada Sajid Shaikh and Alam Mansoori, who have a long history of offences. The two were arrested in December last year and are in judicial custody.

MCOCA has been invoked against chain snatchers in Thane and Nagpur earlier.

"Both are repeat offenders. We had applied for permission to invoke the Act last month and three days ago, were granted permission by additional commissioner of police (central region). We have approached the court for custody once again to interrogate the two," said DCP (zone 5) Dhananjay Kulkarni.

Offences under MCOCA attract a harsher sentence and bail is also harder to secure under the Act.

Last week, Thane police commissioner K P Raghuvanshi had said chain-snatching was the biggest menace in the city.

He had said curbing the menace had been a challenge for Thane police for the past one year and would continue to be one in 2013.

Police in several cities are realising that catching chain-snatchers is getting increasingly difficult as they stay in one state and commit offences in another. Police officers said once a chain-snatcher has stolen enough, he leaves the state and returns only when money is needed again.

Police said identifying accused in these cases was also a challenge as chain-snatchers flee on motorbikes.

As such, prevention is fast being recognised as the best measure to combat chain-snatching.

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