Chain snatching: HC denies bail,says it’s very serious offence

Since 2004,as many as 4,002 incidents of chain snatching have been reported from across Gujarat. In Ahmedabad city,512 such cases have been registered in the last 22 months. Taking a serious note of this,the Gujarat High Court has rejected bail application of a man accused in a chain snatching case. The Naroda police had arrested the accused,Shailesh Bhatane,in 2008. Bhatane had moved the High Court after the local Sessions Court rejected his bail application. In the HC,Additional Public Prosecutor Chetana Shah opposed the bail plea,contending that offences of chain snatching have been increasing in Ahmedabad in particular and Gujarat in general at a ‘rocketing speed’. She added that women wearing ornaments like gold chain and mangalsutra do not feel safe on the city roads. Following this,Justice Z K Saiyed observed: “From the information supplied by the police department,it seems that offences of snatching of chains and mangalsutra are happening day in and day out in the city of Ahmedabad as also all over the state and has increased a lot… This is a very serious offence.” Looking at the facts of the present case,the court observed that it is clearly established that the applicant is involved in a very serious offence,and “if such type of persons involved in habitual offences are released on bail,nobody would be safe and no women would be able to move safely wearing such type of ornaments”.