Pune: A history-sheeter resumed chain-snatching activities and targeted victims across Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad to repay debts incurred through online gambling.The accused, Sumit Ingle (31), of Barshi in Solapur district who is currently residing at Mamurdi in Haveli taluka, allegedly snatched five gold chains in five incidents — four in Pimpri Chinchwad and one in Pune — over the last six months.On June 7, when he came to Baner to commit another chain-snatching offence, a team from the Pimpri Chinchwad crime branch led by senior police inspector Arvind Pawar arrested him. The police recovered gold jewellery worth Rs15 lakh and two motorcycles from Ingle.Additional commissioner of police Sarang Awad said a gold chain was snatched in Pimple Nilakh on June 3. During the investigation, the crime branch examined footage from around 20 CCTV cameras and found that the accused frequently used the Katraj-Dehu Road bypass and was often seen in the Baner area. “On June 7, when he came to the Baner area to snatch another gold chain, our team nabbed him,” Awad said.He added that Ingle had several chain-snatching cases registered against him at different police stations in Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad between 2016 and 2024. He subsequently took to online gambling and became heavily indebted. “To repay the debts, he resumed chain-snatching,” Awad said.
