How safe are we in Delhi?

Hi friends,

I am posting here after a very very long time.

My bag was snatched by day before and I have lost 6 tulas of gold (i have removed mangalsutra and kept it in the bag for safety reasons) while returning home from office at 8.15 pm. The event happended when I was in a rickshaw (from the metro station to home) and a bike came from my lefthand side and the biker sitting in the back snatched the bag.

While I took 100% responsibility of the incident on myself for not being so careful (for carrying valuables in the bag), what is upsetting me most is :-

a) no one stopped when I shouted for help.

b) police came only after 1 and half of hour after my lodging a complaint on 100 at 8.15 pm. I have waited till 9.30 for the police to come and went home and they reached my home at around 1030. They did not show any interest while taking the details from me, moreover, they were telling me that I should be happy because I am physically safe as these chain snatchers offen carry arms too.

I am very upset, actually for not losing the gold, but for the let go attitude of police.

Can we not do anything about it? How can we live with so much of insecurity, being alert all the time?

Want to hear from you

Tanmayi

I am really sorry to know of your personal loss. I don’t blame you. You had done whatever was possible. You had even kept your valuables in your bag. It is really an unfortunate loss. I also appreciate that you had the guts to lodge a police report. It is really a shame that the Police took it so lightly.
Actually, with all the sealing of shops and the overall economic downturn, there has been a major spurt in crime all over Delhi. Armed Robbers are targeting petrol pumps and banks especially on Mondays when business men come to deposit money. Biker gangs are a big menace especially in areas like Rohini.

It is really sad. Recently, my bag was snatched by a biker in Rohini.I now carry a pepper spray for protection.

You are not alone Tanmayi. This has happened at least 3 times, only in front of my house. When people call police, all they do is to register a complaint and forget about it. At most, they will give the victim a lecture about how she should take care of her belonging. Delhi is the crime capital of the country.

May I suggest to you ladies to do this method:

Make your purse the item that you can relinquish in a robbery. Robbers want something so you have to make sure they are satisfied in the robbery so they don't get violent, etc. Put some money there and some things that they will be satisfied with. For your real jewelry or money, you can make a wallet to tie around your waist under the salwar or hang down one pant leg (you can tie it to your leg with a string if necessary). Put your valuables in it before leaving work (in ladies room so no one can see).

Thanks for your advice. I will follow it.

even i had a my purse and belongings snatched when i was in delhi and was returning home from chandigarh

it was a bad day and an extremely sad experience....i had some 11000 in cash in purse that i had withdrawn for paying some dues.....all my credit and debit cards, my gold ring, my cell, my watch....everything

it happened near raja garden bridge....the bike had 3 guys and they snatched the purse and tried to snatch the other bag too...but i could manage to retain the bag containing clothes n all...

and as expected ...police did not even want me to file an FIR as they said u'll need to come down often and i was working in chandigarh so that'll be a problem they said...

they key is to be very very vigilant...whenever u are travelling within a rickshaw, a bus or a cycle rickshaw....keep ur belongings held tightly ...never talk on phone while travelling as it can be a distraction....
if possible....use a shoulder bag (similar to what school children wear) with back straps....u get variety of those which are very trendy in sports outlets and those cannot be snatched..i have one nice one from adidas that i use while i go and come back from office....

these guys look for people who are not careful ..don't wear any valubles when u travel ...these are hints to these guys about the economic background....keep them in ur bag if u have them....keep looking out and carefully observe people travelling around u...sometime these bikers pass 2-3 times before they attack....it's just that careless people fail to observe such things...specfically observe people who look suspicious and remember their faces , clothes and vehical nos.

i agree to carrying peppers sprays...but these guys are generally heartless....they may try to harm u physically if u resist....

it's best to be vigilant...i have tried this and have avoided any more mishaps

Renvem:
You have noted carry a backpack BUT lots of them can be easily unzipped from behind and reached into without any knowledge by you. There are some that zip open from behind (where it touches your back) and that is a better idea. YOu can also put a lock on the zip. All that being said, best to just look uninteresting and not worth bothering and avoid confrontation. When you mentioned the Raja Garden bridge (flyover?) I was a little taken aback as I usually stay a few blocks from there. I will warn my friends. Do you think this gang was in that area due to the Metro stop?

yeah i know they can be opened from behind..but we're talking about snatching...they can't be snatched

and when u're sitting in a bus etc....u should keep it in your lap...or put a small lock of the zip

the incident i mentioned happened in 2004 around diwali time.....there are several such groups active there as adjoining areas such as Rajouri Garden, Moti Nagar etc have people from higher income bracket....lots of chain snatchings happen there...my sister in law's chain was snatched somewhere near to Holy Child School....
we have had so many such incidents in the family ...my sister's bag was snatched when we were living in Sarojini Nagar right outside our house...so frankly it can happen anywhere

i have left delhi since and am permanently settled now in pune

fortunately here we don't have that kind of widespread crime....yeah but chain snatching are common....after that incident i am very careful

Here in the states they sell for travellers purses with wire in the strap as in so many places purse snatchers will cut the strap and grab. In the big cities here (primarily but not exclusively) there are purse snatchers also. In NYC its common for women to have small purses the size of big wallets on long straps that they carry under their coats or jackets. The small size is also good if you commute as you have less weight.