Why are habitual offenders getting away scot free?

The Delhi Police, on Wednesday, claimed to have moved a court against habitual offenders who have been granted bail despite their involvement in snatching cases.

The police’s move came in the wake of the recent case of snatching in which a repeat offender targeted Congress MP R Sudha in Chanakyapuri. He was subsequently arrested.

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Speaking at a press conference, Joint Commissioner of Police (Southern Range) Sanjay Kumar Jain said that the police are preparing a list of such offenders who continue to engage in criminal activities despite being out on bail. Once prepared, they will approach the concerned courts with the list and a request for the cancellation of their bails, citing their repeated involvement in the crime.

Jain’s statement came after the arrest of Sohan Rawat, a 24-year-old with a history of two dozen cases of theft and snatching against him. Rawat allegedly snatched a 30-gram gold chain from Sudha while she was out on a morning walk near Tamil Nadu Bhavan on Monday.

As per the officer’s statement, the police tracked Rawat’s movements through CCTV footage from several locations leading to his arrest early Wednesday morning.

“The coordinated efforts of the police teams from the New Delhi, Southwest, and South districts, Anti-Auto Theft Squad (AATS), and the RK Puram Police Station resulted in Rawat’s arrest,” the officer mentioned.

Rawat was previously arrested in April for his involvement in a vehicle theft in Ambedkar Nagar and was released on bail on June 27. After his arrest, the stolen gold chain, along with, a scooter used in the commission of the crime, four snatched mobile phones, and a stolen motorcycle were recovered from his possession.

Another senior police officer from the New Delhi district shared data showing a steady decline in PCR calls related to cases of snatching in the area.

Devesh Kumar Mahla, Deputy Commissioner of Police (New Delhi), in his statement, claimed, “In the year 2023, we were informed about snatching in the New Delhi district through 166 PCR calls. The number dropped to 138 in 2024 and further declined to 72 by August 5 this year.”

Delhi, on an average, witnessed 14 snatchings a day, with more than 2,500 such cases reported in the first six months, according to official data by the Delhi Police.

The National Capital has reported a total of 2,503 cases of snatching this year till June 30, as per the data. During the same period in 2024, 3,381 cases were reported, while 3,865 cases were registered in 2023.

While the data shows a dip in the number of cases, it also indicates the persistent nature of the problem.