THANE: The Dombivali police have arrested a 17-year-old boy, his 15-year-old brother and seven others including four minor boys in connection with a violent chain-snatching incident on May 24. The two brothers, who spent around two weeks in the Bhiwandi remand home for alleged murder before being released on bail five months ago, headed the gang of chain-sancters which was behind the May 24 incident, police said.(Shutterstock)The three adults arrested in the case were identified as Chintan Sunil Nanda, 20, Mohit Sunil Jadhav, 19, and Swapnil Sunil Bhoir, 27. All three have been remanded in police custody, while the six minors have been sent to the Bhiwandi remand home.The arrests pertain to an incident on May 24, when 64-year-old Sugandh Mhatre was out for a morning walk in the Gondevi Jetty area in Dombivali. Two individuals on a motorcycle intercepted Mhatre and one of them hit him on the head with a wooden stick. As Mhatre collapsed due to the assault, the attackers snatched his 26-gram gold chain and fled from the spot.The Dombivali police started probing the incident under the leadership of Atul Zende, deputy commissioner of police (zone 3), and senior inspector Ram Chopade. They scanned CCTV footage and analysed technical evidence to track down the suspects.“We found that the two minor brothers were leading the gang,” said Chopade. “They used to recce different areas on a motorcycle and target victims walking in vulnerable spots before fleeing with their gold jewelry.”The two brothers were detained after it was established that they were involved in the incident. The elder brother subsequently confessed to the crime and revealed the identities of his accomplices, based on which all nine accused were arrested late at night on May 27, Chopade said.“Among those arrested, Bhoir was responsible for selling the stolen gold jewelry to a local jeweler in Dombivli,” he said.The two minor brothers were earlier involved in an attack on a 25-year-old student in Dombivali West, the officer noted. The duo, along with their accomplices, had attacked the student after local residents had objected to them riding a motorcycle recklessly. The 17-year-old boy had attacked the student multiple times with a chopper, leaving him critically injured. The student later succumbed to his injuries in the hospital.Following the death, murder charges were slapped against the two brothers and the Juvenile Justice Board remanded them to the Bhiwandi remand home. Both brothers were, however, released on bail barely 15 days later, and they had been planning further criminal activities ever since, police said.