Two motor-cycle borne youths snatched a Chittaranjan Park resident Kalpana Bhogal's gold chain while she was taking her evening walk near her house on Thursday evening. The two young men, in their balancing act on the motor-cycle, could only manage to snatch a part of her chain. More and more people are losing their bags, gold chains and purses to snatchers walking the streets of the Capital. The Delhi Police claim that the snatchers ``usually target women while they are moving around alone''.

A police officer at Greater Kailash police station said, ``The trend shows that the snatchers usually grab chains and bags from women while they are returning home from work after a shopping spree. The snatchers usually roam residential areas during the evenings''.

The maximum number of snatching cases have been reported from north-west and west Delhi followed by south Delhi. The areas most prone include not only desolate localities like Samaipur Badli, Rohini, Ashok Vihar but crowded areas like Defence Colony, Kalkaji, CR Park, Lajpat Nagar, Tilak Nagar, Pashim Vihar and Punjabi Bagh. The police fear that the number of snatchings will increase in the next few days: ``The number of snatchings go up a week before Diwali -- there is a lot of buying and selling everywhere. So, there is an increase in snatching cases as well. The snatchers target the Diwali melas organised at various places in the Capital''.

A Lajpat Nagar police officer explains that there is no particular place which snatchers target: ``Snatchers strike at every possible place. They might target people at a shopping arcade, in parks, at a bus stop, inside a bus, at a vegetable market or just about anywhere''.

Crime Branch officials attribute the increase to the general rise in the crime rate this year: ``There were 36 cases reported in the corresponding period last year. There are 664 cases of snatching registered till October 31 this year, whereas there were only 530 snatching cases reported last year''.

The women and men who lose their bags and briefcases rarely get them back. Though they may register a case at the police station, it often proves futile. The Delhi Police have only been able to work out eight of the 66 reported cases in the past fortnight. The police disclose that they are unable to work out snatching cases unless a gang is caught or a racket busted.