Back-to-back episodes of snatching by bike-borne miscreants have unleashed a wave of panic among residents of Mayur Vihar Phase I Extension. In the latest incident, two miscreants on bikes snatched a mobile phone from a resident in front of United India Apartments on October 24 evening.
Surprisingly, 10 police personnel were present hardly 150 m from the spot. The resident, Simon Joseph, stays in Vardhman Apartments. Joseph told City Spidey that around 6.45 pm, as he was walking outside the society’s gate, bike-borne miscreants snatched away his iPhone. “I was talking to a friend over the phone, when suddenly, two bike-borne individuals snatched my mobile phone away and fled. They went past two PCR vans and about 10 police personnel near the gate of United India Apartments, but no one noticed.”
The police, in fact, had come to United India Apartments to investigate a similar snatching incident that had taken place outside the very society’s gate around 11 am on the same day (October 24). In this case, too, a woman's mobile phone was snatched by two bike-borne individuals.
Jas Singh, the woman's husband, a resident of Flat No 41 in United India Apartments, told City Spidey that his wife was crossing the road from Lovely Apartments, located right opposite their society, around 11 am, when the incident took place.
Kamaljeet Varny, who lives in Flat No 39 of the same complex, told City Spidey that a couple of days back, two bike-borne miscreants had also attacked her and escaped with her mobile phone and handbag. “I was coming from the gurudwara in Trilokpuri. I was on a rickshaw and I had reached OCS Apartments when the incident happened. I lodged a complaint at the Trilokpuri police station, and even met the SHO, Jaipal Singh. But there's no trace of the two men so far,” she said.
Purusottam Das Bhatt, president of United India Apartments, confirmed that in the past three days, more than 10 incidents of snatching had been reported in the area. Three cases occurred on October 24 itself. “Bike-borne snatchers have residents very worried. They mostly target women and senior citizens. I have invited representatives of all group housing societies to a meeting with the area SHO,” he said.
When City Spidey spoke to Singh, he said, "The police are working hard to nab the criminals. Two police pickets have been set up in the area — one opposite Samachar Apartments and the other near the Bharat petrol pump. We have decided to increase night patrolling in the area as well. Though there's a shortage of police personnel, we will do our best to keep residents safe.”
Mayur Vihar Phase I has 22 co-operative group housing societies in the vicinity.
