Panchkula: After the arrest of three individuals identified as Ashish from Dhakoli, Zirakpur, Shubham Kumar from Sector 25, Panchkula, and Amit Kumar, originally from Hisar and residing in Sector 25, Panchkula, the police have successfully closed six cases of gold chain snatching that occurred in Panchkula, Haryana starting from the year 2023.
Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) Mr. Arvind Kamboj revealed during a media briefing on Tuesday that the arrested individuals were acquainted with each other and were grappling with drug addiction. Resorting to snatching gold chains became their means to sustain their addiction, with women being their primary targets.
Providing a breakdown of the incidents, the police mentioned that three out of the six snatching incidents were reported in November 2023. Neeta from Sector 15 reported on November 24 that her gold chain was forcefully taken by two individuals riding a motorcycle in the local market. A case under Section 379-A (snatching) of the Indian Penal Code was filed at the Sector 14 police station subsequently.
Similarly, on November 19, Promila Vaid from Sector 11 reported that she was a victim of gold chain snatching by individuals on a motorcycle while she was returning home after an evening stroll in a nearby park. A case was registered at the Sector 5 police station.
Further, on November 7, Krishna Mulreja from Sector 21 experienced a similar unfortunate incident where her gold chain was snatched while she was heading home in the evening. Another case was registered at the Sector 5 police station in connection with this incident.
Additionally, Sheela Malik from Sector 25 approached the Chandimandir police station on December 6 with a complaint of chain snatching.
Prior to these incidents, on June 12, Payal Asija from Sector 20 fell victim to the snatchers while returning home on her Honda Activa in broad daylight. Earlier, the accused had targeted Anupama Seth from Sector 20 while she was returning home after an evening walk on April 2. Separate cases were registered at the Sector 20 police station regarding these incidents.
The police revealed that the crime branch had been meticulously investigating these cases and, with the aid of CCTV footage, managed to apprehend the accused. They also disclosed that the motorcycle utilized in the crimes was registered under the name of a relative of one of the accused, Ashish.
The accused were presented before a court on Tuesday and subsequently remanded to police custody for four days.
