Bhopal: Phone Snatching Rampant, 24 Cases In 2 Months

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Cases of people losing their mobile phones to robbers and anti-social elements at nights have become rampant in the city. The police officials said 24 such cases were registered in last two months in the state capital.

However, a grim fact is that when police are approached for registration of such cases, they register complaints or FIRs under sections pertaining to theft instead of robbery or snatching.

A recent incident is of July 2. Rewa resident Rohit Kushwaha was in city for undergoing training in railways. Unidentified bike-borne men snatched his mobile phone in Saket Nagar on late night, after which he approached Bagsewaniya police station.

The police registered a case of theft under Section 356 of IPC instead of registering it under Section 392 or 394. Similar incident took place in Govindpura where a private company employee Shakhawat Khan was returning home from work on late night of July 1.

He too was robbed of his mobile phone by unidentified bike-borne men. The police registered the case under Section 356 of IPC. Sources said several junior police officials often connive with the accused involved in such cases.

If the accused are nabbed and booked under Section 356 of IPC, they are required to serve a short jail term. If they are booked under Section 392 or 394, they are sentenced to rigorous imprisonment, sources added. Sources said this happens more at TT Nagar police station and Hanumanganj police station.

Sections Are Rectified

According to police commissioner Harinarayanachari Mishra, once a probe is launched in such cases, the sections under which the accused have been booked are rectified. Majority of such criminals are pushed behind bars, thanks to the CCTV cameras installed in the city localities, he said.