Pak delegate’s purse stolen from city event

◗ Victim was made to wait for 24 hours before an FIR was registered after repeated pleas

A Pakistan- based woman entrepreneur had a nightmarish experience with the Delhi police after her purse was stolen at the International Trade Fair in Pragati Maidan. What came as a shock to her was that after her purse was stolen, she was made to wait for 24 hours before an FIR was registered after repeated pleas.

Kavita Oberoi, who hails from Mandi district in Pakistan, had a clothing stall in the International Trade Fair ( ITF) in hall number 14.

According to the complainant, while she was standing at her stall, a youth managed to flick her purse containing cash ` 3.5 lakh, credit and debit cards, and her mobile phone. The incident took place on November 19.

The complainant further said that upon realising her purse was missing, she immediately raised alarm and informed the police. To her disappointment, the police didn’t take any step to nab the offender. According to Ms Oberoi, her mobile kept ringing for over two hours. However, the cop, rather than taking immediate action, allegedly told her that she should have been careful with her purse. Some cops allegedly said that it was a usual thing to have happened at the trade fair.

However, the victim somehow managed to reach her hotel in Karol Bagh and was torn between lodging FIR and getting her pass done. It took nearly 24 hours for the police to finally register an FIR in this connection on Monday.

When police checked the CCTV footage, a youth in black shirt was identified as the accused. The alleged theft took place at around 5.30 pm on Sunday.

According to a senior police officer, the police has arrested more than eight persons so far, mostly women, who used to work as a gang at the ITF. The higher- ups have taken up the case and have ordered an inquest into the same.