Snatchers caught on CCTV camera. Express report, page 3
THERE IS a link between increasing vehicle thefts and snatching incidents being reported in Chandigarh, say the police. A total of 235 two-wheelers have been stolen from different parts of Chandigarh in the last five months. Out of these, 18 two-wheelers have been found involved in 22 snatching incidents.
Sources said a total of 91 snatching incidents were reported between January 1 and June 10, 2017, and the police managed to solve 38 of them. In 22 cracked cases of snatching, 18 stolen two-wheelers, including Activa and Pulsar motorcycles, were used by the accused. Sources in the crime branch said, “In three snatching incidents which were worked out in the month of March, snatchers were found using the two-wheelers which were stolen from Panchkula. These two-wheelers were in addition to the 18 motorcycles stolen from different places in Chandigarh.”
On June 13, a motorcyclist snatched a woman’s purse at Raipur Khurd village and escaped after leaving his motorcycle behind. Later, cops came to know that it was a stolen motorcycle. SSP (UT) Eish Singhal said, “There is a link between increasing cases of vehicle lifting and snatching incidents. The interrogation of some of the arrested snatchers revealed that they preferred to park the stolen motorcycles after committing snatchings in different parking lots.”
However, a total of 270 vehicles — 235 two-wheelers, 33 four-wheelers and two autos — have been stolen in the last five months and 194 vehicles are yet to be traced by the Chandigarh Police.
Figures obtained from the modus operandi branch (MOB) of Chandigarh Police show that a total of 76 vehicles — 66 two-wheelers and 10 four-wheelers — have been recovered. The stolen two-wheelers include Bullet motorcycles, Pulsar and Activa. A total of 33 four-wheelers, including Fortuner, Bolero, Swift, i10, i20 and Maruti, were stolen. Two autos were stolen from Dadumajra in Sector 38 and from Sector 45. Police officials maintained that efforts were being made to trace 194 vehicles in coordination with police authorities of neighbouring states and the details of all the stolen vehicles had been uploaded on the website of the National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB).
