Thane Crime: 18-Year-Old Boy Snatches Woman’s Phone In Ambivali After Asking For WhatsApp Help

Thane: A dramatic incident unfolded in Ambivali near Kalyan on Thursday afternoon when a 50-year-old woman’s mobile phone was snatched by an 18-year-old migrant youth under the pretext of asking for documents via WhatsApp. Thanks to the quick and alert action of local citizens, the accused was chased down, beaten by bystanders, and handed over to the police.

The complainant, Satyabhama Achhelal Jaiswal (50), a resident of Mohane Bazarpet, had gone to the Sarva Seva Kendra near the Manpasand shop for personal work, as reported by Loksatta. While there, a young man named Ulfan Hakimdin Mohammad (18), originally from Uttar Pradesh and currently unemployed, approached her claiming he wanted to rent a sawmill in the Mohane Bazar area.

As the two discussed the rental, Ulfan said he needed to request documents like his Aadhaar and PAN card from his village, but didn’t have a mobile phone. He asked to use Satyabhama’s phone to contact his family via WhatsApp. While pretending to send messages, he suddenly snatched her phone and fled the scene.

Satyabhama immediately raised an alarm and chased after him. Nearby pedestrians responded swiftly to her calls for help, as reported. Despite the youth's attempts to push through the crowd, the alert citizens managed to catch him, rough him up, and hand him over to the Khadakpada police.

A formal complaint was lodged, and the police have registered a case against Ulfan under relevant sections, according to the report. Authorities are also investigating whether he has a criminal record or has been involved in similar thefts in the past.