The Ahmedabad Crime Branch has arrested a habitual chain-snatcher who had been on the run for 35 years. The accused, Ashok alias Dahyabhai alias Tanio Thakor, was wanted in multiple chain-snatching cases across Ahmedabad. He was finally tracked down and arrested from Surendranagar.
The accused was first involved in a chain-snatching case registered at Odhav police station. The incident occurred on June 16, 1991, when three unidentified persons on a scooter snatched a gold chain worth ₹6,000 from a woman near Odhav Bhikshuk Griha. During investigations, Ashok Thakor was identified as an accomplice of Pappu alias Papaiya Ramsevak Sharma, who was arrested in 1991. Thakor, however, escaped and has been on the run ever since.
Following a tip-off, the Ahmedabad Crime Branch traced Ashok Thakor to the Sukh Shanti Society near Mahakali Hotel in Surendranagar. He was arrested and subsequently handed over to Odhav police for further legal proceedings.
Thakor has a long history of criminal activities spanning 1983 to 2008, with multiple cases of chain-snatching, theft, and burglary registered against him across Ahmedabad. His offences include:
–Multiple cases under IPC Sections 379 (theft), 114 (abetment), 457 (housebreaking), 511 (attempt to commit offence), 394 (robbery), and 397 (robbery with an attempt to cause death or grievous hurt)
–Crimes registered at Odhav, Gomtipur, Vejalpur, Maninagar, Shahibaug, Amraiwadi, Naroda, and Kagdapith police stations
–Confession of involvement in chain-snatching incidents three decades ago in Kadi and Kalol
A senior official from the Ahmedabad Crime Branch stated, “The accused had been evading the law for over three decades, frequently changing his residence. With coordinated efforts, our team successfully located and arrested him. Further investigations are underway.”