4,485 snatching incidents in Haryana, just 310 convictions in seven years

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, December 22

A total of 4,485 chain and purse-snatching incidents have taken place in the past seven years (2015-November 2021), but only 310 cases led to conviction. The state said in reply to a question by Congress chief whip BB Batra.

There have been 3,076 chain-snatching incidents from 2015-2021, with 341 in 2019, 289 in 2020, and 376 in 2021. Challans have been presented in only 1,208 cases, implying trial was pressed in just 39.3% cases. Of them, conviction has taken place in 188 cases, including six in 2019 and nil in 2020 and 2021. In 638 cases, the trial is pending.

There have been 1,409 purse snatchings in the state in the past seven years, including 242 in 2019, 154 in 2020, and 201 in 2021. But challans have been presented in only 777 cases, implying trial was pressed in just 55.1% cases. Of them, 122 cases have ended in conviction, including 16 cases in 2019, two in 2020 and nil in 2021. The trial is pending in 411 cases.

Meanwhile, Batra said, “There is a huge gap between incidents registered and challans filed. It implies many cases have gone untraced. The convictions are so low.”

To which, Home Minister Anil Vij replied that the snatching incidents had been much lesser during the BJP rule than during the Congress regime.