Woman, among 2, held for snatching cell phones

Two snatchers, including a woman, have been arrested by the Delhi Police. They used to target lone girls near the Delhi University (DU) area on pretext of making calls, police said on Sunday.

According to the police, the accused, driving a white Honda Brio car, would target lone girls, mostly students. The woman would request the girls to allow her to make a phone call, citing emergency. Then, she and her accomplice would allegedly drive away with the victim’s phone. They used to operate in Model Town, Mukhrjee Nagar, Maurice Nagar , Roop Nagar and other nearby areas.

The duo was arrested from a North-West Delhi area on Saturday. They told the police that they used to snatch mobile phones in the university area. 

The police said the accused were identified as Sonam (name changed), aged 30, and Neeraj (30). The police said the duo was involved in around 11 cases of snatching. As many as 10 mobile phones of different make were recovered from their possession, they added. The car used by the duo to carry out the crime has also been recovered, said an official investigating the case.

The police said Sonam was a DU graduate and fluent in speaking English, through which she used to impress the victims. She is married and has  an 8-year-old son, they said, adding that she shared a strained relationship with her husband. 

Police said Neeraj, too, was a DU graduate. They added that he, too,  shared a strained relationship with his wife and had a five-year-old daughter. He told the police that he used to supply toys and stationery to shopkeepers.  “Sonam wanted to take revenge from her husband. She needed money for this, and hence, she committed crime,” police said.