Jammu, Aug 23: On Tuesday, a Shiv Nagar resident, Mamta Chopra wife of Mohan Chopra was waiting for autorickshaw, when two men on a motorbike zoomed past, snatching her handbag.
 The theft took place in every busy Rehari area of the city that took in full public view and broad day light.. The woman lost cash, jewellery and valuables worth several lakh.
 The woman fell down and suffered minor injuries when she tried to save her hand bag from the snatchers, the official sources said, adding the injured woman was shifted to the Government Medical College Hospital.
 “The snatchers escaped from the spot, while police have registered case at the concerned police station and launched a manhunt to arrest the absconders,” they added.
 The woman has only joined a long list of people who have been robbed in the broad day light in the city in near past. The menace of chain and hand bag snatching is on rise in the city and concern was expressed by non-other than the police chief over the issue.
 However, the fresh incidents of bike snatchers are understood to give sleepless night not only to the local residents but even to the police, which is struggling to control the crime in city.
 Official sources said that though police has taken some internal measures after being snubbed by the Director General of Police Kuldeep Khuda it were not showing desired results.
 While the victims allege that investigations are lackadaisical, the police say that in none of the incidents, the victims had the snatchers’ motorbike registration number, making it almost impossible to track them down.
 The victims are not buying the theory. Rahul sharma, a local resident said, “Are the policemen serious when they say the victims must record the thieves’ vehicle numbers? Sure, the victims can try, but it’s not always possible.”
 In most of the cases the motorcycles used in such crime do not have registration number and the robbers are armed making it difficult for the victim to resist.
 A senior inspector, requesting anonymity, admitted the challenge saying, “Thieves on motorbikes are high on alcohol and drugs. While on the ‘job’, they don’t have the fear of getting hit. They are the biggest nuisance for us in our attempts to curb street crime.”
 It was time for the city police to mobilize it men and machinery so that the people can feel safe and secure. The installation of more CCTVs in crowded places could be one of the steps in this direction.

Lastupdate on : Tue, 23 Aug 2011 21:30:00 Makkah time
Lastupdate on : Tue, 23 Aug 2011 18:30:00 GMT
Lastupdate on : Wed, 24 Aug 2011 00:00:00 IST