BHOPAL : Around 587 gold chains were snatched by miscreants in the city over the last five years. This makes an average of more than a 120 chains per year or one every third day. Out of these 587 chains, 120 were snatched in the morning hours and the rest were snatched in the evening hours.
SP North Arvind Saxena talking to ‘Free Press’ that only four chain snatching incidents were reported in the North police district in the last six months. Three were reported under Koh-e-fiza police station and one at Bairagarh.
The Old City is congested and densely populated due to which the miscreants do not risk looting chains in these places. He said that 30 teams have been formed in eight police stations areas of the city to control chain snatching incidents.
Hot spots have been identified at One Tree Hill, Chanchal Square, CRP Colony, Panchwati, Datar Colony, Lake Pearl Garden, Koh-e-fiza and BDA Colony, where cops have been ordered to be alert at all times.
Regarding the measures to be taken by the people especially ladies to avoid such incidents he said that they should keep their ornaments covered especially while driving a two-wheeler and walking on roads and public areas.
SP South Anshuman Singh admitted that most of the chain snatching incidents took place in the New City areas mostly on the outskirts of the city. Areas within the limits of Govindpura, Piplani, Habibganj, Bagsewania Chunabhatti, TT Nagar, Kolar and Kamla Nagar police station are more prone to chain snatching incidents. He said that the police have been adopting an active approach to curb and control these incidents.
He advised the people especially ladies to be vigilant while walking on roads and public places to avoid such incidents. They should be cautious when some bike is approaching them or if they sense that they are being followed.
When questioned about the chain snatching menace, SSP Raman Singh Sikarwar while talking to Free Press lamented that the city police force is short of more than 450 traffic police cops. It needs around 950 but has only 500. The crime rate of Indore and Bhopal is almost the same but Indore has much bigger police force as compared to the city. Apart from that, a large number of policemen are deployed in VIP duty in the city which further aggravates the situation.
To control chain-snatching, after taking charge of the city, Sikarwar has directed all the police station in-charges to remain in the field from 6 to 9 in the evening.
They have been instructed to give their location every half-an-hour through wireless sets which would be monitored by a DSP-level officer. The order is for the station house officers of all the 37 police stations and 12 traffic inspectors of the city.
