Journalism of Courage
Cops ask people to nab criminals red-handed
Chase them,nab them and hand them over to police. Or else click their photographs to help police trace them easily. There is even a reward for mission accomplished; Rs 10,000. This is what Pune police have come up as an answer to the spurt in chain-snatching cases in the city.
In a press release on Monday,the city police appealed to citizens to at least be a little more alert and show presence of mind by clicking photographs of chain-snatchers when they are committing the crime using mobile phone cameras.
The press release says several incidents of motorcycle-borne youths snatching jewellery from women have taken place in recent days. Citizens who would click photographs of the criminals or nab them red-handed and hand over to the police,would get a reward of Rs 10,000 in cash,says the release.
When contacted,assistant commissioner of police (crime),Prabhakar Patil,said,The idea is to make citizens alert. Women tend to scream when chains are snatched. There are people around the spot who can chase chain-snatchers,nab them and hand them over to police.\
He added that if it is not possible to chase and nab criminals,people should at least try to click photographs that will give valuable clues to the police. We want to motivate the public. Hence the cash reward, said Patil.
In the wake of increasing chain-snatching cases,Pune police recently conducted a meeting with cops from other cities and districts. Details of chain-snatching in various cities and districts were shared. The modus operandi was discussed to plan a proper action to thwart the criminals. The appeal was a follow up of that meeting.
Sources said that gangs from one city commit crimes in other cities to evade detection.
Pune police book chain-snatchers under Section 392 (robbery) of the IPC. Police from other cities and districts book them under Section 379 (theft) of the IPC. It is easy to get bail in chain-snatching crimes. The modus operandi is easier than other crimes. We suspect criminals involved in house break-ins,robbery and dacoities may have shifted to chain-snatching. We are also on the lookout for jewellers who buy stolen jewellery from criminals, said a police officer.
