Soon, snatching to invite stricter punishment in city

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 21

In what appears to be a step forward for much-awaited harsher law provisions for snatchers, who are striking at will in the city for the past some time, the Additional Solicitor General (ASG) of India, Satya Pal Jain, has asked the Union Government to amend the law provisions for enabling a stricter punishment to snatchers in Chandigarh.

The development assumes significance as the UT Administration had been seeking addition of Sections 379-A and 379-B in the Indian Penal Code (IPC) in Chandigarh on the pattern of Punjab and Haryana but the Centre was sitting on the matter.

It was on April 3 that the Punjab and Haryana High Court, which is hearing a petition on the increasing chain snatching incidents in Chandigarh, had directed the UT Administration to supply to the ASG for taking up with the Centre the set of papers regarding enhancing the punishment for snatching, which according to the UT counsel were lying pending before the Union Home Ministry.

After getting the copies of the communications exchanged between the UT and the Centre in this regard, Jain has written to Union Home Secretary Rajiv Gauba to look into the matter personally and take appropriate decision in the matter and convey the same to him by way of an affidavit of a responsible officer of the Union Home Ministry so that he may place it before the High Court on the next date of hearing, which is slated for April 25.

On March 21, the High Court had impleaded the Union Home Secretary as respondent in the petition after the petitioner, Hari Chand, had prayed for the same, citing the UT’s statement before the court that the matter regarding enhancing the punishment for snatching was lying pending with the Union Home ministry.

It was in October last that the UT DGP, after taking cognisance of a sudden spurt in the incidents of snatching in the city, had proposed to the UT Home Secretary to add Sections 379-A and 379-B in the IPC for Chandigarh.

The UT Home Secretary had referred the matter to the UT Legal Remembrancer, who amended the proposal in December last. The amended proposal was then sent to the Union Home Ministry, which was still pending for its consideration and notification.

What the present law says

Presently, the snatchers in Chandigarh are booked under Section 379 of the IPC, which provides the maximum punishment of three years in jail or with fine or both.

Proposed law

As per the state amendments made by Punjab and Haryana in the IPC for their respective states, Section 379-A provides for a minimum jail term of five years and the maximum of 10 years with fine (Haryana Rs 25,000) (Punjab Rs 10,000) for snatching while Section 379-B provides for a minimum jail term of 10 years (Haryana maximum 14 years) and fine (Haryana Rs 25,000 and Punjab Rs 10,000) for also causing hurt to the snatching victim.

Flashback

October 16, 2017 The UT DGP writes to the UT Home Secretary

December 6 The UT Legal Remembrancer amends proposal; the UT Administration sends it to the Union Home Ministry

March 13, 2018 The Union Home Under Secretary replies to the UT Adviser, seeks copies of the official gazette notification of Haryana and the proposed draft notification with modification for the UT

March 26 The UT Home Secretary refers the matter to the UT DGP

April 2 The UT SSP provides copies of the desired documents to the UT Home Secretary, who forwards these to the Union Home Ministry