One snatching every two hours in Delhi, show police data

Delhi faces a snatching incident every two hours, raising concerns after an MP was robbed. Many cases go unreported, despite police efforts to combat crime.

At least one incident of snatching is reported every two hours in the Capital, according to Delhi Police data, highlighting the persistent threat of street crimes that continue to endanger residents across age and class.

(Representational image)

In the wake of one such incident on Monday, when a Member of Parliament was robbed in Delhi’s high-security diplomatic enclave, concerns about the brazenness of such crimes have resurfaced. The incident took place around 6.15am near the Embassy of Poland, when R Sudha, Congress MP from Mayiladuthurai, was out on a morning walk with Rajya Sabha MP Rajathi. Police said the assailant, riding a two-wheeler, snatched her chain and fled the spot.

While snatching and robbery are often labelled as “petty crimes”, they frequently lead to severe injury or even death. In one such case in December 2023, a 66-year-old woman from Arunachal Pradesh sustained a fatal head injury while resisting a bag-snatching attempt in north Delhi’s Civil Lines. Identified as Kesang Dorjee, a resident of Bomdilla, she succumbed to her injuries two days later.

In October 2023, a 38-year-old man was stabbed to death by three minors when he tried to stop them from harassing his female companion and snatching her phone in Karol Bagh. The previous month, a 32-year-old man was similarly killed by two minors during an attempted phone snatching.

Data and reporting challenges

Delhi Police data indicates a decline in reported snatching cases in recent years. In 2021, 9,383 incidents were recorded, followed by 8,387 in 2022, 7,886 in 2023, and 6,493 in 2024. Till June this year, 2,503 cases have been reported, police said.

However, senior police officials admit that many cases go unreported. Victims often refrain from lodging complaints to avoid the procedural burden and emotional toll.

In January last year, Reena Sharma, a 34-year-old resident of an upscale colony in west Delhi, was threatened at knifepoint by two bike-borne men who pushed her to the ground and fled with her phone and gold chain. Though she dialed the police, she chose not to file a formal complaint. “I didn’t want to get into the hassle of following up the case and relive it again and again,” she said.

A senior Delhi Police officer acknowledged the issue, stating, “From time to time, police strengthen checking on the roads and conduct spatial analysis to study the crime patterns in vulnerable areas. Foot and mobile patrolling, and keeping close regular tab on criminals getting released from jail or roaming out on bail, so that they are kept under constant surveillance is a measure that’s taken very seriously.”