Snatching incidents on rise, women prime target

Despite police changing strategies to deter snatching incidents in the city, the snatchers have been outsmarting police and administrating crime that too in the busy areas. The snatchers have been targeting only women. In the wake of the snatching incidents, several women were physically hurt and have suffered injuries.

Despite police changing strategies to deter snatching incidents in the city, the snatchers have been outsmarting police and administrating crime that too in the busy areas. The snatchers have been targeting only women.

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In the wake of the snatching incidents, several women were physically hurt and have suffered injuries. The city has been witnessing atleast two to three snatching incidents in a day. The women, who have fallen prey to snatching incidents, feel insecure when they go out on their own.

Model Town, Sarabha Nagar, Ghumar Mandi and Civil Lines are some of the area where snatchings are a routine affair. Most of the victims do not go to the police to complain about the incident.

Snatchers had snatched a bag from woman Alice Guram of Rajguru Nagar from the Sarabha Nagar area on December 22 last year. The purse contained cash and jewellery worth `6.5 lakh. The police have been clueless in the matter.

Miscreants struck again on January 5 and snatched purse from a woman in the Model Town area and fled. The onlookers have jotted down the number of the vehicle used by the accused and have told the police about it.

Earlier, miscreants used to commit crime in day time, as women mostly go to market for shopping during that time.

Therefore, the police had increased vigil in the day time.

As the police changed the strategy, the miscreants also changed the time. The snatchers have now started targeting women after sunset and disappear in the dark streets after executing the crime.

According to police sources, most of the gangs of snatchers in the city have been caught. There are one or two gangs that have been active from the Gill Road to Model Town and Sarabha Nagar. The gangs used to operate on the particular route and hide in the area after committing the crime. They used to target women only.

The police sources also revealed that the gangs had also looted some of the labourers coming back from their work. For the arrest of the accused, the police have increased night patrolling from the Gill Road to Model Town and Sarabha Nagar route and that is the reason no snatching incident has been reported in the area from the past four days.