Snatching

Prahlad Modi.

We have registered a case of snatching under sections 379 and 365 of the Indian Penal Code on her complaint. Several teams have been formed to identify and nab the suspects and recover the stolen items,” deputy commissioner of police (north), Monika Bhardwaj, had said after the incident was reported.

Delhi’s ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) too condemned the incident and blamed inadequate policing. “With each passing day the law and order situation is going from bad to worse. The alacrity that Delhi Police shows in chasing political opponents of the BJP, is completely absent when it comes to providing safety to the people of Delhi. The most recent victim of this has been the niece of our Hon’ble Pri me Minister, ” Raghav Chadha, national spokesperson of the party, said in a statement on Saturday.

In the past few weeks, the city has witnessed a series of snatchings wherein motorbike-borne men even used violence while targeting their victims, mostly women. Last month, Joymala Bagchi, a journalist with news agency ANI, was mugged by two motorbike-borne men who fled with her cellphone.

“Crimes increase when criminals do not have the fear of law. To control them, it is necessary to bring back the fear of police and law in their minds. It’s the police who should rule the streets with their presence and not let criminals dominate. Merely catching snatchers after their crime won’t make much difference. The police should lay traps and nab such criminals on the spot. Also, the police should catch receivers of stolen properties because they know who the criminal are,” former Delhi Police chief, Ajai Raj Sharma, had told HT.