It took another snatching incident at ITO’s Bahadur Shah Zafar Marg on Sunday — the third in the last three days where a journalist was targeted — for the Delhi Police to move beyond mere assurance and initiate action against their own men who have failed to check the increasing number of such instances.
Suspended
Two beat staff and one chitha munshi (also a constable) were suspended and the Station House Officer of IP Estate police station censured for not taking appropriate measures. But this came after an employee of a Tamil daily lost his mobile phone on Sunday.
It was around 2.45 p.m. that Sundareswaran, a senior reporter and sub-editor with Dinamani , was walking towards his office in Express Building at ITO when his mobile phone was snatched by two men on a bike.
“I was talking on the phone when two men came from behind and snatched it. From what I could make out they were in their 20s,” said Mr. Sundareswaran, adding that there was no policeman in sight.
Special Commissioner of Police (Law and Order, North Zone) S.B.K. Singh announced the suspensions and said that the incident happened “in spite of all efforts” taken by the police.
Mr. Singh explained the absence of policemen by claiming that all staff was diverted towards an arrangement for the CM and were not sent for picket duty.
Seeing no policemen, however, is no uncommon sight on the road where only barricades are to be seen.
On Sunday, the arrangements were in contrast to the usual as an ACP and the SHO were sent to the spot.
“From now, an Inspector will be there from 3 p.m. to 11 p.m. everyday,” said Mr. Singh.
Other incidents
Last Thursday, Pradip R. Sagar, an editor with The New Indian Express , was robbed of his mobile phone.
A day earlier, snatchers had targeted Mayank Gaur, who works with the advertising section of The Hindu , when he was walking down the road around 10 a.m. The snatchers were not even wearing a helmet.
On Saturday, Tushar Sharma of JK Cements, lost his mobile phone. In the past the area has seen cases of vehicle thefts in broad daylight.
Cars belonging to two senior journalists have been stolen in a span of few months.
Three snatching incidents where journalists were targeted were reported in three days at Bahadur
Shah Zafar Marg
