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Cops get tough, book chain snatchers under robbery sections
What 860 patrol vehicles, 20,000 (including private surveillance cameras) CCTVs in the city could not achieve, the police are hoping to do it by a simple change of the IPC section. The city police struggling to contain the ever-increasing incidents of chain and mobile snatchings here have decided to book the cases under the Indian Penal Code Section 390 (robbery) instead of 378 (theft).
By
migrator
migrator
Chennai
Since last week, they have been registering chain and mobile snatching incidents under the IPC section of 390, wanting to fast track all the related cases by filing chargesheets in a week’s time after the suspects are caught. Once proved guilty, the accused can get a jail term up to 10 years under this section.
The city police decided to take this route to tackle the issue hoping that the fear of severe punishment could reduce the number of snatching incidents.
All the police stations had been asked by the city top cops to book the incidents of snatching as robbery, as in most of the cases the victims end up in mental shocks and physical injuries as well. “It is certainly not stealing. It is robbing because the criminal is using force and taking away your valuables, sometimes after hurting you,” a senior police official said.
Till now the police were booking a majority of snatching incidents under the IPC sections of missing or theft as they don’t want to officially accept it as robbery in the records. While IPC section 390 attracts a punishment of imprisonment up to 10 years, IPC 378 (theft) can get only up to 3 years, a police official said.
This is the first-time instructions are being given from the top to police stations. “Till now no officials wanted to record so many ‘robbery’ cases in their jurisdiction. Senior officials are hoping that the fear of severe punishment could deter the criminals from indulging in such crimes,” sources said.
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