Snatching cases jump three times since 2008
NEW DELHI: In 2008, the Delhi police control room received not more than three calls about bikers snatching cellphones and gold chains from pedestrians on city streets. That year, only 1,377 such cases were registered.
Fast forward 10 years and the menace of snatching has grown manifold. The police control room now receiving almost 18 calls a day on average, while the number of registered cases have gone up to 5, 034 (in the nine months of this year till September 30).
Police say bikers snatching cellphones and gold chains is still one of the most common street crimes reported today.
Police say that though the number of snatching cases has declined in the last few years, after hitting a high of 9,896 in 2015, most of the bike-borne snatchers remain untraced and unarrested.
Explaining how these gangs strike fear in Delhi residents, a police officer said the accused often worked in teams of two.
“They mostly commit snatching in a team of two so that they can manage to escape on a twowheeler and easily make their way through heavy traffic. In many case, where we have busted gangs involved in snatching, it was found that the accused were using motorcycles which had been modified by adjusting the fuel supply regulator. This enables the two-wheeler to reach high speeds in lesser time,” the officer said.
An officer said that snatchers use stolen motorcycles to evade the police radar and often abandon their vehicles after committing a series of crimes.
“The targets are also chosen wisely. Mostly elderly people, woman who can’t chase or raise the alarm and people who are frail are targeted. Snatchers also mostly try to operate on dark and isolated stretches where possibility of CCTV surveillance is very less,” the officer said. 2015 2016 2017 2018
Total snatchings
The accused usually operate in a team of two, to be able to flee on a two-wheeler They two-wheeler used is modified by adjusting the fuel supply regulator to reach high speed in less time
The men use stolen bikes to evade the police radar. They change their vehicles almost A DELHI POLICE OFFICER
Last year the Delhi Police had sought amendments to the existing law that deals with snatching.
Under the proposed law, snatchers who currently get away with just three years in jail at most, or even with a simple fine, could now be looking at a prison term of up to 14 years if arrested.
Delhi Police’s public relations officer Madhur Verma said that curbing street crimes was the force’s top priority.
“We count robberies, snatching and motor vehicle theft as street crimes. There are antisnatching teams in every district and special staff are also deployed from police stations to check street crime,” the DCP said.
Verma said recently the police have found that mostly juveniles are involved in committing such crimes.
“It is because the punishment every week
Elderly people, woman who can’t chase or raise an alarm become easy targets
The accused sell their phones the same day. They also melt the looted gold and silver jewellery to avoid recovery The men always cover their face to avoid detection.
Snatchings per day
for juveniles is lesser and they are out of observation homes quickly,” the officer said.
DCP Verma said that the police give highest priority to curb use of arms in snatching and in cases of other street crimes.
OTHER CASES SEE A JUMP TOO
A comparison of data suggests that since 2008, robberies and rape incidents have also increased more than five times.
While in 2008 at least one rape and one robbery was reported daily on an average, in 2017 five rapes and eight robberies were reported every day.
The data from the Delhi Police shows in 2008 a total of 554 murders, 541 robberies, 24 kidnappings and 466 rapes were reported. A decade later, in 2017, the police recorded 487 murders, 3,147 robberies, 16 kidnappings and 2,146 rapes.