Scared that his wife would scold him after he lost his mobile phone in an inebriated state, a man allegedly told police that his mobile phone was snatched in West Delhi’s Nangloi area. Police said the CCTV analysis and inquiry unravelled the truth behind the snatching claim. The call was received regarding the incident on August 31. As officers reached the spot, the man told them that an unidentified person snatched his mobile phone around 8 pm when he was going to purchase some goods on his scooty. After committing the act, the youth, he claimed, escaped on a black motorcycle, which was parked nearby at the time of the incident. Even as the complainant was found to be under the influence of alcohol, an FIR was registered at the Nangloi police station and an investigation was initiated, said officers. Police said CCTV footage from multiple spots was thoroughly examined during the course of investigation. However, there were no visuals of the snatching incident. In one of the footage, a person was seen running in a nearby street, who was later traced and apprehended. “This suspect told the police that on August 31, the complainant had requested him to lend his mobile phone to make a call, claiming that his own phone was lost. Observing that the complainant was under the influence of alcohol, he refused. This led to a brief altercation after which he left the spot,” said Sachin Sharma, DCP, Outer. The facts were subsequently verified from the complainant, who admitted that he was heavily intoxicated and had misplaced his mobile phone while returning home. “To avoid being scolded by his wife, he fabricated a story of snatching and conveyed the same to her. Acting on this, his wife made a PCR call reporting the incident. Later, the complainant’s statement was recorded at the Tis Hazari Court, Delhi, wherein he admitted that no snatching incident had taken place and he had, in fact, lost his mobile phone as he was drunk,” the DCP added. The FIR was subsequently cancelled.
