E-Paper
Chandigarh: Ahead of festive season, 123 snatchers on police radar
Chandigarh Police turn to CrPC provisions to initiate preventive action against snatchers who tend to target shoppers in crowded markets during festive season
Looking at reining in snatching cases during the upcoming festive season, the Chandigarh Police have turned to provisions of the Code of Criminal Procedure to (CrPC) keep a watch on snatchers.
Police have initiated prevention action against a total of 123 snatchers, 72 of them repeat offenders — those booked for the same offence more than two times.
Out of these 72, police have already launched proceedings against 41 repeat offenders under Section 110 (security for good behaviour from habitual offenders) of the CrPC.
This means that 41 repeat offenders have already submitted their surety bonds with the sub-divisional magistrates (SDMs) concerned, promising good behaviour by citing that they will not indulge in any snatching incident in the city or in any other untoward activity.
Other than these, police have bound over as many as 51 snatchers under Sections 107-150/151 (preventive action or arrest) of the CrPC.
According to officials, these 51 identified snatchers, who although are not repeat offenders, will also appear before the SDMs of their respective areas.
“It is up to the magistrate to send a snatcher to judicial custody for a particular period if they suspect threat to law and order or they can release the offender after surety bonds. The idea is to curb illegal activities amid festivities,” said a senior police officer.
These 123 snatchers will remain under strict watch of the police and will appear before the SDM three to four times, ensuring that they will not indulge in any illegal activity after their previous appearance before the SDM court, police said.
“In order to ensure safety of the public amid festival season and to deter snatchers, all police stations have identified snatchers in their area and they have been warned and bound over under preventive action. They will appear repeatedly before the SDM concerned to ensure good behaviour. We are not going to allow any anti-social element to hinder the festivities and thus will keep a strict vigil on all persons involved in crime in the past,” said Kanwardeep Kaur, senior superintendent of police (SSP), Chandigarh.
363 people fell prey to snatchers since 2021
Since 2021, as many as 363 people in the city have become victims of snatchers, most of them making off with their mobile phones, gold chains, earrings and handbags, as per police records from January 1, 2021, to August 31, 2023.
Compared to 121 snatching cases in 2021 — averaging at 10 per month, their number rose to 130, an average of 11 each month. In slight rise from previous year, a total of 103 victims fell prey to snatchers till August 31 this year — around 12 each month.
Hot on the trail of snatchers to bring down street crime, Chandigarh Police have arrested a total of 463 culprits from January 1, 2021 till August 31.
Among them 147 miscreants were nabbed in 2021, followed by 178 more the next year and 138 accused have already fallen in the police net till August 31 this year.
Moreover amid police efforts, the number of convictions has also improved. A total of 50 snatchers have been convicted in 28 snatching cases this year till August 31, compared to 51 in 33 cases in entire 2022. In 2021, 27 snatchers were found guilty in 17 cases.
