Cases of snatching in the city have spiralled from 463 cases last year to 658 cases in the last five months this year. Coming as more embarrassment for the Delhi Police is the fact that the number of motor vehicle theft cases have also gone up by 10 per cent.

As the Opposition benches hit out at the increasing rate of crime in Delhi, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit also took a potshot at the Delhi Police.

“It is definitely a matter of concern that people of Delhi have a sense of insecurity,” she said.

The Delhi government had approached the Home ministry before the Assembly elections to bring a part of the Delhi Police under them. The Home ministry is, however, yet to respond to the request.  “It is a time of specialisation. The police should be divided and compartmentalised into VIP and other security; traffic police and law and order,” Dikshit said.

An analysis of figures in snatching cases reveal that 92 per cent of the accused arrested for such crimes were illiterate, school dropouts or had studied till Class X. Police data further states that 74 per cent of the accused are aged below 25. The police claims to have verified the ownership of over 1.74 lakh motorcycles since February this year to put a stop to snatching cases.  

The statistics of the last five months also reveal that dacoity and murder cases have reported a decline. Compared to last year’s 215 cases, 214 cases of robbery have been reported this year. Sixty nine per cent of these cases have been reported on roads.

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