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India's rich feel safer walking in Delhi amid rising thefts in London: Entrepreneur
Entrepreneur Devin Narang highlighted that the fear of crime in London was a major worry for India's businessmen
India's rich elite are feeling unsafe in Mayfair due to an uptick in “theft from a person” incidents in London, witnessing a 27 per cent surge, The Guardian reported. Entrepreneur Devin Narang, speaking at a gathering attended by UK's shadow foreign secretary David Lammy, highlighted that the fear of crime in London was a major worry for India's businessmen, it added.
At a meeting in New Delhi, Financial Times reported, a member of the executive committee of the Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry, Narang said, “People are being mugged in the heart of London – in Mayfair…All CEOs in India have had an experience of physical mugging and the police (in London) not responding.”
He added that rich Indians felt safer walking in New Delhi than in London. “Indians do carry expensive things, but the police not responding is a matter of concern. London is a walking city. You don’t want to look over your shoulder all the time. You don’t want to go to a city where you’re likely to be mugged in the streets. It doesn’t make you feel comfortable. You can walk anywhere in Delhi and you won’t be mugged.”
Lammy, in Delhi for trade discussions, expressed that numerous individuals had voiced worries about muggings and thefts in central London during his brief visit. He emphasized that "security and combating crime" would be pivotal priorities under the Labour party.
The theft rate in Westminster, which encompasses Mayfair, including mobile stolen, bags snatched and muggings, has risen by 40 per cent to over 25,000 incidents. Whereas, it rose to 27 per cent in London.
Speaking to SkyNews, Narang said, “We were discussing how to increase business between our two countries and areas of concern, and I mentioned that there were a lot of concerns about Indian CEOs getting mugged. It's happened to a lot of people I know.”
He added that Lammy responded to the theft complaints saying the issue would be addressed.
SkyNews reported that while Narang has not been subjected to robbery, he has had five to eight businessmen tell him that they were mugged in London in the past few years with many saying they're always looking over the shoulder.
Crime statistics analysis website, Crime Rate reported that there were 72.4 reported thefts per 1,000 residents in the borough.
As per a freedom of request submitted by the database The Watch Register, a total of 29,000 watches were reported stolen to the London police and one in five of those robberies involved violence.
A spokesperson from London Mayor's office, under which the Metropolitan police operates, told The Guardian, “The Met have stepped up their response to robberies – which are rising nationally – and have specialist teams out proactively targeting the most prolific offenders and robbery hotspots.”
