Man’s phone snatched in Delhi — turns out wife planned it to hide affair

The woman has now been “bound down”, meaning she is legally required to appear before the investigating officer or court on specified dates.

The couple, who hail from Rajasthan, got married one and a half years ago, said police. “Before their marriage, the woman was in love with another man who lived in her neighbourhood… Their relationship never ended. Even after her wedding, they would frequently meet. And some months ago, the husband got a whiff of it…,” an officer said.

“He wanted to catch her red-handed. So, while she was sleeping, he checked her phone and found intimate photos of her and the other man. He then transferred the photos to his phone… When the woman realised her husband had found the photos, she was horrified at the prospect of being exposed in front of her family. So, she called the other man and planned the snatching,” the officer added.

Police said that in the first week of June, the man and a friend arrived in Delhi from Rajasthan. “They tracked the husband’s movement, got information about vehicle rental services, sorted out hotel reservations, and returned to Rajasthan. They returned to Delhi on June 18. The next day, two masked men snatched the husband’s phone,” the officer said.

According to the police, the incident took place when the husband was near a factory in Sultanpur on July 19.

“A PCR call was received by the Fatehpur Beri police station regarding a mobile phone snatching near Old UK Paint Factory… The complainant reported that two masked persons on a scooter snatched his mobile phone and fled,” DCP (South) Ankit Chauhan said.

A team led by SHO Rajesh Sharma of Fatehpur Beri police station was formed to crack the case.

Around 70 CCTVs were assessed, and a man in a blue T-shirt was spotted riding pillion on a scooter heading towards Vasant Kunj. When the police checked the vehicle’s number plate, it turned out to be a rented one, said officers.

“It was found that the scooter had been rented from Daryaganj for a day on June 19,” DCP Chauhan said.

When the police visited the rental shop, officers obtained the details of the accused, as they had handed over an Aadhaar card number as proof of identity. The phone number in the Aadhaar card was put under surveillance, which revealed that the accused had fled to Rajasthan after the incident, police said.

Officers said that considering the amount the accused paid for the scooter and a trip to Barmer, they realised that the theft was not carried out for money.

“The accused were traced to Balotra in Barmer. A team was dispatched to Rajasthan, and the friend was apprehended. The snatched mobile phone was recovered from his possession,” Chauhan said.

During questioning, the friend allegedly admitted that the snatching was carried out on the orders of the complainant’s wife, confirming the assumptions of the police, said an officer. “The woman allegedly told the accused when her husband would return from the office, and the route he would take,” the officer added.

The woman was bound down on Wednesday. She has admitted to the crime, police said.