The situation has come to such a pass that the womenfolk shudder to venture out with their beloved “Mangalsutra” or gold chain they fondly purchased or gifted by someone loved. The jewel of beauty is increasingly turning out to be a noose around their necks rather a proud possession.
Nagpur News.
Be hold! Nagpur City is entering the books of record in its own style. A terror called chain-snatching has taken the Second Capital City of Nagpur in its vice like grip. The phenomenon has become a daylight nightmare for young girls, women of all ages. The crime daringly refuses to decline and also exposes helplessness of Nagpur Police in accepting the challenge thrown by the criminals. The situation has come to such a pass that the womenfolk shudder to venture out with their beloved “Mangalsutra” or gold chain they fondly purchased or gifted by someone loved. The jewel of beauty is increasingly turning out to be a noose around their necks rather a proud possession. The crime is fast running into record books. The record books of which nobody would love to turn the pages. Every page is written by chain-snatching incidents reported in 24 hours of a sunny and dark day as well. The unreported incidents would tell a different tale and another sort of record.
The chain-snatching incidents from January 2013 till May 25, 2014 stood tall with more than 400 women and young girls losing their much cherished treasure, purchased cheerfully, gifted by loved ones, and most happily offered by husbands. The Orange City is witnessing 20-25 chain-snatching incidents (reported to police) every month. The unreported cases would certainly outshine the registered. The Nagpur Police, particularly the Crime Branch, clearly lacked in their efforts in curbing the street crimes in the city. Insiders say that some hardcore criminals and their cronies have been involved in the crime which marked the sudden spurt in the chain-snatching cases during the recent months. Some youths with no crime record are also involved in this crime making it the most favourite pastime for a lavish life at the expense of womenfolk.
The criminals who rob women and girls of their “mangalsutras” and gold chains cannot fulfill their wishes by keeping the robbed jewelleries with them as they need hard currency. And for exchange of the gold with currency the criminals find any jewellery shop to dispose of the booty. And Sarafa Bazaar in Itwari among others is the favourite place for the criminals to sell-off the robbed booty.
Since many youths having no crime record in police files indulge in chain-snatchings, police found themselves helpless in alerting the citizens, specifically the women and girls. The commando force, special squads, sharp-eyed patrolling and other measures are turning big flops as there is no let-up in the crime. So intense is the frequency of crime that it becomes a routine event and often finds no space in the media reports.
One question the Nagpur citizens are hotly debating is: Should the Army be called to specifically deal with the “expert” chain-snatchers, who, it appears, have been “licensed’ to commit the crime with impunity and freely whenever they want?
Nagpur Today, in an effort to highlight the outrageous crime, is reporting some cases that can be considered a tip of an iceberg or tip of a mountain. The headlines, flashed regularly, are enough to send the message:
• Two women relieved of gold chains in Kalamna and Jaripatka:
• Chain-snatchers strike city at three places:
• Chain snatchers have a field day, three snatchings reported:
• 3 masked goons enter house, rob girl of her gold chain, inflict bloody injuries with blade:
• 2 more women lose ‘Mangalsutra’, gold chain:
• Chain snatching cases continue unabated in the city:
• Women participating in Ram Navami shobhayatra relieved of mangalsutra:
• Motorcycle-borne thieves lay hands of gold mangalsutra, booked:
• Two women relieved of gold chains in Ambazari and Lakadganj areas:
• Chain snatching cases continue unabated in the city:
• Elderly woman gave tough fight to thieves but suffered loss of part of gold chain:
• Three more chain- snatching cases in city:
• Nagpur in a grip of chain-snatching terror, women in trauma, police turning pygmies:
• Chain snatchers rob five women in a day:
• Criminals on chain snatching spree:
• Thieves snatch away gold chains worth 1.5 lakh in separate incidents:
• Chain snatchers on moped rob woman:
• “Wait” for husband proves costly for woman as she is relieved of Rani Haar worth Rs 1.40 lakh:
• 7 persons thrash couple, succeed in snatching “Mangalsutra” near Futala Lake:
• Woman robbed of “Mangalsutra”:
• Thieve relieves woman of “Mangalsutra”:
• Child’s play of chain-snatching makes three women poorer by Rs 2,13,000:
• Goons “licensed” to snatch gold chains as the crime volcano refuses to calm down:
• Chain snatching incidents increase manifold as commando forces totally fail to curb the crime:
• Two chain-snatching cases in separate incidents:
• Chain-snatching terror: A woman loses gold chain worth Rs 1,20,000, other of Rs 25,000:
• Time has come to declare war on chain-snatching terror:
• Two criminals slap 62-year old woman, snatch “Mangalsutra” worth Rs 80,000:
• Nightmare continues in daylight as two more women lose ‘Mangalsutra’ worth Rs 1.05 lakh
The reports are endless and would continue in coming minutes, hours, and days, too. The criminals have not spared a single area of Nagpur city. Every area has victims of chain-snatching. Only an Army hand could smash the “terror” hands as Nagpur police have been proving dismal in curbing the crime. The Army men “don’t take bribes from goons.”
