2 arrested for snatching handbag of Modi’s niece
Stolen items including `56K recovered: Police
Two men were arrested for allegedly snatching the handbag of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s niece Damyanti Ben Modi, police said on Sunday.
Gaurav alias Nonu (21) was arrested from Sonipat in Haryana. His accomplice Badal was arrested from Sultanpuri, deputy commissioner of police (North) Monika Bhardwaj said.
Damayanti Ben’s bag, containing cash of `56,000 and two mobile phones, was wrenched from her grasp by two persons when she was alighting from an auto-rickshaw at the Gujrati Samaj Bhawan in North Delhi’s Civil Lines area on Saturday morning.
Based on a complaint by her, police registered a
case and later identified the two snatchers.
Gaurav is a resident of Sadar Bazar in Delhi but sometimes stayed in Nabi Karim here. Badal is a resident of Sultanpuri here.
The stolen items, including `56,000 and some of the documents, have been recovered, the officer said, adding that the scooter was seized from the house of Gaurav’s aunt where he had gone after the incident.
The two men were identified after examining CCTV camera footage. They were not wearing helmets.
During interrogation, Gaurav told police that he had spotted Damayanti Ben in an auto-rickshaw, a kilometre before targeting her, the officer said. Damayanti Ben is the daughter of the Prime Minister’s brother Prahlad Modi.
Police said Gaurav was previously involved in a fight and it is being checked if he has any other cases against him.
The incident occurred a few kilometres away from the residences of lieutenant-governor Anil Baijal and chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. Damayanti Ben reached Delhi from Amritsar on Saturday morning.