‘Never felt this way in Chennai… I go out after dark wearing my jewellery…’: Tamil Nadu MP gets back gold chain snatched in Delhi

While the perpetrator was arrested by the police on August 6, the MP said she received a summons from the court to claim her necklace almost two weeks later, on August 18.

“The police told me to come to Patiala House on August 18… I got there around 2 pm and the judge called me in at 5 pm… I was shown an array of different gold chains and pendants, from which I recognised mine,” Ramakrishnan said.

The Mayiladuthurai MP said she received her chain back from the court after applying a claim for it.

The chain held a special place in her heart, she said. “I wear that chain every day, and the pendant has a picture of Tirupathi Balaji on it, whom I hold very close to my heart,” Ramakrishnan said.

The chain was also a reminder of her fierce independence. “Whatever I own, I have bought with my hard-earned money. When I started working as a lawyer, I took an oath that I would never depend on my family for anything… My mother is widowed, and when I got my first job, she asked me how much I make. I was a little embarrassed because advocates don’t make much. So I told her, ‘You don’t have to worry about that, I won’t ask you for any money,’” Ramakrishnan recalled, laughing.

However, the incident left the Tamil Nadu MP feeling uneasy. “I have never felt this way in Chennai. I go out after dark, wearing my jewellery, and nothing of this sort has ever happened. Even if it did, I know there will be police patrol cars nearby whom I can alert. Here, in Delhi, which is the Capital, I saw no police cars nearby… When I informed one patrol car, they told me to go to the police station. In Chennai, the police would have at least alerted other patrol cars nearby to be on the lookout for the man,” she said.

The accused, Sohan Rawat (24), was arrested from Southeast Delhi’s Okhla 48 hours after the incident. He was a habitual offender facing 26 criminal cases, police said.

During questioning, police said Sohan admitted that on the day of the incident, he was looking for a target on his scooter — which was also stolen — when he reached Chanakyapuri. “He spotted the MP, thought she was a vulnerable target, allegedly snatched her gold chain and fled,” said a police officer.

Police had said it was only later that Sohan realised his latest victim was someone “high-profile”.

“The MP’s gold chain, weighing 30.90 grams, has been returned following all legal procedures. Our investigation is still on, and the chargesheet in the case will be filed soon,” the officer added.

According to Delhi Police data, 2,503 cases of snatching occurred in the Capital in the first six months of this year.

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