Criminal, involved in 200 incidents of chain snatching, arrested

New Delhi, May 1 (IANS) A 40-year-old man, involved in around 200 snatching incidents, has been arrested, a senior Delhi Police official said on Monday.

The accused, identified as Ranjeet Singh alias Billa, was held from west Delhi.

Police said that he has been previously arrested in more than 40 cases including 22 cases of robbery and snatching.

The official said that Singh was active in west Delhi's Tilak Nagar, Hari Nagar and Janakpuri areas.

According to Deputy Commissioner of Police, West, Akshat Kaushal, on April 26, the police received a tip-off about the accused and arrested him in Raghubir Nagar, where he had arrived on a stolen bike to commit snatching.

During interrogation, the accused named Singh admitted to the police that he had committed nearly 200 incidents of snatching so far.

"Singh disclosed that he worked alone and had become proficient in snatching chains with his left hand while riding a bike. To avoid being identified, he always wore a helmet and used high-end bikes stolen from parking lots during snatching," said Kaushal.

He only targeted the west district, as he was familiar with the escape routes.

According to the police, Singh was released on bail during the Covid-19 pandemic in May 2020 from Tihar jail. After his release, he moved to his hometown in Rajasthan's Alwar, but later came back to Delhi and resumed snatching.