Ludhiana police claim to have arrested 42 snatchers in 13 days

As per the release, between September 1 and September 21, when Naunihal Singh was at the helm of the police department, the city recorded 51 chain snatching incidents. From September 22 to October 4, the snatching cases dipped to 18, it was claimed.

The Ludhiana police commissionerate has claimed that snatching cases in the city have seen a considerable dip since the new police chief, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar, took over on September 22.

The commissionerate has claimed that snatching cases have seen a dip after the new police commissioner of Ludhiana, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar took charge. (HT FILE)

In a communique shared by the public relations’ office, it was stated that in the last 13 days, police have traced 94% of the snatching cases with the arrest of 42 accused and 100% recovery of stolen property.

As per the release, between September 1 and September 21, when Naunihal Singh was at the helm of the police department, the city recorded 51 chain snatching incidents. From September 22 to October 4, the cases dipped to 18.

It was also stated that the tracking rate went up from 33.33% to 94% after Bhullar took over. Cops claim to have recovered stolen property worth ₹48.34 lakh since September 22.

Police commissioner Bhullar said a multi-pronged strategy has been adopted to curb this street crime. “Special thrust is being laid on eliminating snatching by marking hotspots and keeping tabs on criminals who got out on bail recently. CCTV surveillance near snatching hotspots, such as Ghumar Mandi Road, DMC Road, Kipps Market Sarabha Nagar, Urban Estate Dugri, Jalandhar Bypass, Gill Road, Sherpur and Giaspura Chowk, have been increased,” he said.

Bhullar said vigilance has been stepped up in the city and senior officers have been asked to monitor nakas in their area and ensure that every officer discharges their duty efficiently.

“These are just baby steps. The ultimate goal is to make the city crime-free,” the top cop said, adding that active support and cooperation of the general public is necessary to realise this goal.

Bhullar was posted as Ludhiana police commissioner after a major reshuffle in the police department following the shift of power after Captain Amarinder Singh’s resignation as chief minister. Naunihal Singh, during his 31-day tenure as police commissioner, had remained in the news for his midnight vigils which had left many police officers sleep deprived.