Lok Sabha MP suffers injuries, chain snatched in Delhi’s diplomatic enclave

Sudha asked if women cannot walk safely in a high-priority zone in the capital, where else can they feel safe

Updated on: Aug 4, 2025, 13:11:11 IST

By Hemani Bhandari

Prefer HTon Google

Share via

Copy link

Parliament member R Sudha was injured when a masked man snatched her chain as she was walking with another lawmaker on Monday morning near the Polish embassy on New Delhi’s high-security Shantipath in the capital’s diplomatic enclave Chanakyapuri.

Sudha said she suffered injuries on her neck, and her trousers were also torn. (Official X account | R.Sudha)

Sudha said she suffered injuries on her neck, and her trousers were also torn. “I somehow managed not to fall, and both of us cried for help,” added Sudha, a member of the Lok Sabha from Tamil Nadu.

The Congress leader said the incident traumatised her, and questioned how safe women are in the capital.

If women cannot walk safely in a high-priority zone in the national capital, where else can they feel safe and do their routine without fearing for their limbs, lives, and valuables, she asked.

“In a high-security zone like Chanakyapuri, which is full of embassies and protected institutions, [it] is highly shocking to say the least,” she said in her police complaint.

The Opposition lawmaker said around 6.15-6.20 am, the man wearing a full helmet and covering his face on a scooter approached them from the opposite direction, snatched her gold chain and fled.

Sudha, who represents Tamil Nadu’s Mayiladuthurai in the Lok Sabha, said the incident happened near the Polish Embassy’s Gate-3 and Gate-4. She added that the man came slowly in the opposite direction, and she did not suspect he could be a chain-snatcher.

She said she complained to a mobile Delhi Police patrol. “We were advised to give a complaint in writing and approach the jurisdictional police station.” Sudha said she is in Delhi to attend the parliament’s monsoon session and is staying at the Tamil Nadu Bhawan because her official accommodation is not ready.

A police officer said that they have received the complaint. “We are registering the FIR [First Information Report]...Teams are working to nab the suspect,” the officer said.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Hemani Bhandari
Hemani Bhandari is a Special Correspondent with Hindustan Times in New Delhi, where she reports on crime, policing, governance and social issues. With over a decade of experience in journalism, she specialises in combining on-ground reporting with evidence-based storytelling to examine the human impact of public policy, law enforcement and urban governance. Over the years, she has reported extensively on major developments in the capital, including crime investigations, civic challenges, protests, and issues affecting vulnerable communities. As a Special Correspondent, she focuses on producing exclusive investigations, enterprise stories and long-form features that go beyond daily news cycles. She has a keen interest in using public records, official data and field reporting to uncover systemic issues and present complex subjects in an accessible manner. A graduate of the Asian College of Journalism, Hemani believes in rigorous, ethical and evidence-based reporting. She is passionate about investigative journalism and continuously seeks to expand her skills in data journalism, open-source investigations and digital reporting techniques.Read More

Get the latest India News, breaking headlines and real-time updates from across the country. Stay informed about politics, government policies, crime, weather major national developments and Karnataka Bandh LIVE.