Quick buck sans violence, the lure of mobile theft

The police have already tried every trick in their rule book to arrest the rate of chain and cellphone snatching incidents, but claim that youth with criminal intents find cellphone snatching easier than chain snatching and are turning to it in a big way. 

“Cellphone snatching is easier than chain snatching. Just one tap on the victim’s shoulder and that is it the job is done. There is hardly any violence involved or injury to the victim. On the contrary, chain snatching needs more expertise and most often snatchers turn violent to get what they want,” a senior police officer said, while admitting that cellphone snatching cases have seen a phenomenal rise in the city. 

City cops are working hard to check this continuing menace. While they have been arresting those with criminal records to bring down cases of cellphone and chain snatching, new faces, with no records, are turning into snatchers. “We have now resumed our preventive arrest drive and are picking up those who were caught for similar offences in the past. However, new offenders are also joining the league,” the official added. 

According to a recent list prepared by the Chennai City Police, which had extensive details of 14,551 people with criminal history in the city, about 1,799 persons were listed as chain snatchers. However, police sources said the actual number of offenders in this kind of crime could be high. 

Another major problem city police face is that chain snatching incidents are booked as simple theft, which attracts a maximum punishment of only six months for the offenders. “The inordinate delay in the judicial process also emboldens the criminals. They go to jail as remand prisoners for some time and then come out on bail only to resume their activities. The disposal of the case takes a long time and even when convicted, they get only up to six months,” another police official added. 

In cellphone snatching cases, most complainants are given only CSRs and FIRs are hardly registered. Now, inspectors have been instructed to register an FIR if the culprits resorted to violence while snatching chains. 

“I lost my phone recently to a snatcher and I have no hope of getting it back. I had lodged a complaint and there is no follow up on that,” Manivannan, a victim from the city said. Most complainants face a similar situation and hardly any recoveries are made in cellphone snatching cases.