Chandigarh court dismisses snatcher’s bail plea, adds Section 379-A

As per Section 379-A (snatching), a convict will be punished with rigorous imprisonment for a term that is not less than five years, but which may extend up to 10 years, along with a fine of Rs 25,000.

The district court here on Wednesday dismissed the bail application of a Hallo Majra resident accused in a snatching case.

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Also, looking at the increase in number of snatching cases in the city, the court added Clause A to 379 (punishment for theft) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

“Snatching incidents have become rampant in Chandigarh. Considering this scenario, Section 379-A was added, making snatching a non-bailable crime. The accused if found guilty will get a minimum of 5 years in jail, which may extend up to 10 years,” said advocate JP Singh, a public prosecutor.

On August 23, an FIR was registered under sections 392 and 411 of the IPC at Sector 31 police station after Chandigarh resident Renu (31), who is a security guard at Elante Mall, reported that the accused snatched her mobile phone and purse while she was returning home from work.

Suraj Sharma (26) was caught by the people, following which police recovered the woman’s phone and purse from him.

Suraj’s application was opposed by the police stating that he may jump the bail and threaten the witness. Following this, his bail was dismissed by the court with the addition of rigorous punishment under Section 379-A of the IPC.

Following this, the bail was dismissed and section 379 A was added.