Snatcher's 'lucky' green jacket lands him in police net

New Delhi: A 'lucky' green jacket of a 27-year-old snatcher has put him behind the bars for allegedly stealing and later selling stolen mobile phones to passengers near railway stations and bus terminals on the pretext of a false story, police said on Tuesday.

Accused Faraz, a resident of Kucha Rehman, Ballimaran, who was previously involved in seven cases of snatching, hurt and Arms Act registered at different Police station of the district, they said.

He was released from jail in August, 2021. The accused considered his favourite green jacket 'lucky' as it had saved him from being caught many times but it took him behind the bar this time, police said. The matter came to light after two complaints of snatching was received in North Delhi's Civil Lines police station, they said.

According to police, the first complaint loadged by an ambulance driver, alleged that on January 2, at about 7:45 am, when he was walking towards Bhairo Baba Mandir, and reached a petrol pump in the Civil Lines area, he got a call of his friend. Suddenly, the accused came on a two-wheeler and snatched his mobile phone before fleeing the spot.

After two days, police said they received another complaint from a labour in Sadar Bazar who alleged that on January 4, at about 9:20 am, when he was crossing the road in front of a hospital, suddenly the same accused came on a two-wheeler, without helmet, snatched his mobile phone and fled away towards ISBT side. Deputy Commissioner of Police (North) Sagar Singh Kalsi said with the help of technical investigation and scanning CCTVs the police got a lead at Jama Masjid area. On the basis of CCTV footages, the police team came to the conclusion that the same person is involved in both the snatching cases.