Delhi Police to seek bail cancellation of habitual snatchers

The Delhi Police will soon move applications in court to seek cancellation of bail granted to habitual offenders involved in snatching incidents, a senior official said on Wednesday.

The move comes in the wake of the recent arrest of a repeat offender who allegedly snatched a gold chain from Congress MP R Sudha in the high-security Chanakyapuri area.

“Police are preparing a list of such offenders who continue to engage in criminal activities despite being out on bail,” Joint Commissioner of Police (Southern Range) Sanjay Kumar Jain said during a press briefing.

He further noted that once the list is ready, the police will approach the concerned courts and request cancellation of their bail, citing repeated involvement in such crimes, he said.

The officer was speaking following the arrest of 24-year-old Sohan Rawat, a habitual criminal previously involved in over two dozen theft and snatching cases. Rawat allegedly snatched a 30-gram gold chain from Sudha while she was out on a morning walk near the Tamil Nadu Bhavan on Monday.

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According to the police, the accused was arrested early Wednesday morning after investigators tracked his movements through CCTV footage from multiple locations.

“A coordinated effort involving police teams from New Delhi, Southwest, and South districts, along with the Anti-Auto Theft Squad (AATS) and the RK Puram police station, led to his apprehension,” said the officer.

Rawat was released on bail on June 27 after being arrested in a vehicle theft case lodged in Ambedkar Nagar in April this year.

Police recovered the stolen gold chain, the scooter used in the crime, four snatched mobile phones and a stolen motorcycle from his possession.

Another senior police officer from the New Delhi district shared data showing a steady decline in PCR calls related to snatching in the area.

“In 2023, we received 166 PCR calls related to snatching in the New Delhi district. The number dropped to 138 in 2024 and further declined to 72 by August 5 this year,” Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi) Devesh Kumar Mahla claimed.

The national capital witnessed an average of 14 cases of snatching every day this year, with more than 2,500 such cases reported in the first six months, according to official data by the Delhi Police.

Delhi has reported a total of 2,503 cases of snatching this year till June 30, the data stated. During the same period in 2024, 3,381 cases were reported, while 3,865 cases were registered in 2023.

While the data shows a dip in the number of cases, it also indicates the persistent nature of the problem.