4 more snatchings, now miscreants on scooters use asking for directions as ruse
With 155 snatchings to date this year, there is not let up
Taking the number of snatching incidents in the city to date to 155, four more cases were reported on Tuesday and Wednesday. Two were reported from in and around Sector 45, one in Sector 20 and the fourth in Sector 19. Both fall in the South division that already accounts for more than 60% of such cases in the city.
Snatched mobile on pretext of asking for directions
In the first case, Rishabh Malda of Sector 45, complained that two unknown people on an Activa fled after snatching his mobile phone near Hockey Stadium, Sector 42, Chandigarh.
“I was on foot on way to meet my father who is employed at the stadium. The snatchers were not wearing helmets. They stopped near me and asked for directions. As I moved towards them, they snatched my phone and fled,” he stated in his complaint.
A case has been registered under Sections 379 (theft) and 356 (assault or criminal force in attempt to commit theft of property carried by a person) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) at the Sector-36 police station.
Snatchers on Activa offered lift
The second victim, Burail resident Tej Singh Rana, has complained that two unknown people offered him a lift near Sectors 33-34 light point. He claimed that he was tired after having walked from Sector 20 towards Burail.
“I had returned to the city from Rudrapur and could not find an auto-rickshaw and hence started walking,” he has told police. The miscreants offered him a lift and when they reached the small park near Sectors 33-45 light point, they snatched his purse containing ₹3,500, mobile and other documents. All Rana could tell police was that the pillion rider was wearing a black T-shirt and socks.
Again, a case was registered under Sections 379 and 356 of the IPC at the Sector-34 police station.
Two incidents under Sector-19 police station
Two more snatching cases were registered at the Sector-19 police station. In the Sector-20 case, two unidentified people on a motorcycle snatched the mobile phone of Aisha, a student.
In Sector 19, two unidentified people on a motorcycle snatched away the purse of Preeti, a private firm employee, at the turn near Sector-19 gurdwara. The purse contained documents, ATM cards and ₹700.
Acting on both complaints, two separate cases were registered under Sections 379 (punishment for theft) and 356 (assault or criminal force in attempt to commit theft of property carried by a person) of the Indian Penal Code at Sector-19 police station.