Chandigarh man awarded one-year jail for snatching phone, purse

The case dates back to March 2018, when the accused had snatched a woman’s purse and mobile phone in Sector 27, Chandigarh

Terming rising incidents of snatching in the city a social menace, a local court has awarded one-year jail to a Dhanas resident arrested for snatching.

The Chandigarh court also imposed a fine of ₹1,000 on the convict, Jitender Kumar. (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

The court of additional chief judicial magistrate (ACJM) TPS Randhawa also imposed a fine of ₹1,000 on the convict, Jitender Kumar.

The case dates back to March 2018, when the accused had snatched a woman’s purse and mobile phone.

In her complaint, Pooja Rani, a resident of Sector 28-C, Chandigarh, had said she was walking with a friend in Sector 27, when a motorcyclist, wearing a helmet, came from behind, and snatched her mobile phone and purse from her hand. The purse contained Rs700.

A case under Sections 379 (snatching), 356 (assault or criminal force in attempt to commit theft of property carried by a person) and 411 (dishonestly receiving stolen property) of the Indian Penal Code was registered on March 22, 2018, and the accused was arrested on April 6, 2018. The snatched mobile phone was recovered from him.

What the court said

“Snatchings have assumed alarming proportions these days and ladies and old aged persons are vulnerable and easy targets for miscreants,” the court observed.

Dismissing the prayer of accused for leniency or benefit of probation, it said, “It (snatching) causes general alarm among the public and reflects poorly on the law and order situation in the country. Such type of miscreants should be dealt with a heavy hand.”