Faced with rising incidents of chain-snatching in the city, the Mumbai police have decided to put chain-snatching under the category of crime against women as in most of the cases the victims are women.
Earlier, chain-snatching was treated as a form of robbery and relevant Section of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) for robbery was applied in such cases.
In any chain-snatching incident, the victim is always manhandled —either being pushed or dragged —which leaves an impact on her. Following a directive from Mumbai police commissioner Satyapal Singh, the zonal deputy commissioners of police have been instructed to visit the crime spot and personally speak to the victims of chain-snatchings.
It has also been ordered that the investigation into such cases would be carried out under the supervision of the deputy commissioner of police in whose jurisdiction the offence has taken place.
According to the police, chain-snatching incidents have gone up drastically in the city in recent times.
“Chain-snatching incidents are rising in the city. There are gangs who only commit chain snatchings and there are many youth from well-to-do families who have also been caught for these crimes. This is because one gold chain can easily fetch them a minimum of Rs20,000,” said Krishna Prakash, additional commissioner of police (south).
