Serial snatcher arrested for stealing gold chain from MP.

Serial snatcher arrested for stealing gold chain from MP.
  • Sohan Rawat, habitual snatcher, arrested for MP's gold chain theft.
  • Rawat's distinct dress code led to his ultimate undoing.
  • Police tracked Rawat using CCTV footage and his accomplice's friend.

Sohan Rawat, a 24-year-old with a staggering 26 cases registered against him, has been apprehended by the Delhi Police for allegedly snatching a gold chain from Congress MP Sudha Ramakrishnan. Rawat, described as a snatcher with a peculiar dress code, was known for his consistent attire of full-sleeve T-shirts or shirts and a helmet, partially obscuring his face. According to the police, the full sleeves were strategically chosen to conceal two distinctive tattoos: a religious chant on his left hand and his initials, 'SR,' on his right. Ironically, this very characteristic would ultimately lead to his capture. The incident occurred in Chanakyapuri while the MP was on a morning walk with MP Rajathi Salma. The arrest was made by the Anti-Auto Theft Squad (AATS), led by Inspector Umesh Yadav, in Okhla, Southeast Delhi, approximately 48 hours after the crime. Rawat had recently been released on bail in a motor vehicle theft case, having been arrested on April 16 and released on July 27. Law enforcement's initial observation of Rawat's clothing habits dates back to July of the previous year when the AATS (South) team arrested him in Chirag Delhi for a snatching incident. The breakthrough in the MP snatching case, which involved over 70 officers from three districts of Delhi, came as the AATS team meticulously reviewed Rawat's movements before and after the theft. He was first identified on CCTV footage in Govindpuri near Okhla around 6 am on the day of the incident. The footage indicated that he entered Chanakyapuri from Dhaula Kuan after crossing Ashram Chowk, having previously travelled along the Ring Road from Kalkaji to Dhaula Kuan. The AATS team's suspicion that the accused resided in Southeast Delhi was reinforced by his escape route. Officers determined that after snatching Ramakrishnan's 30.9-gram gold chain around 7 am in Chanakyapuri, he retraced his steps, with his last appearance captured by CCTV cameras at Govindpuri. Following this, the AATS team reviewed the list of active snatchers in the area and identified Rawat as the only individual consistently wearing full sleeves during thefts. They also discovered that he had been released from jail on June 27 after being arrested for stealing a scooter in Ambedkar Nagar. The police then contacted Rawat's wife, who resides in Dakshinpuri, Southeast Delhi, with their five-month-old child. His wife informed the police that Rawat had not returned home after his release on bail. His parents also revealed that they had disowned him over four years prior and were unaware of his current whereabouts. Subsequently, the police contacted one of Rawat's accomplices, also based in Dakshinpuri, who had been arrested alongside him in a previous snatching case. While the accomplice was unaware of Rawat's location, he directed the police to Rawat's friend, Piyush. Upon questioning, Piyush provided the police with Rawat's active phone number. The police initiated tracking the phone and discovered that the device was active near Pushpa Bhawan on the BRT Corridor early Wednesday. A team was dispatched to the location and apprehended a man matching Rawat's description, riding the same scooter used during the snatching on Monday. The man was identified as Sohan Rawat, who was allegedly attempting to sell the MP's gold chain at the time of his arrest. According to DCP (South) Ankit Chauhan, Rawat confessed to his involvement in the theft and was subsequently arrested. The scooter he was using was also found to be stolen from Pul Prahladpur. Further investigation led to the recovery of four mobile phones and another scooter stolen from Nizamuddin, all on Rawat's information. Three of the recovered phones have been linked to theft cases in Sunlight Colony, Defence Colony, and Hauz Khas. During interrogation, Rawat reportedly confessed that he only realized the significance of his victim after seeing news reports about the theft. He recognized that he had targeted a high-profile individual. However, he remained at his rented accommodation in Harikesh Nagar, where he had resided for only six to seven days, believing that his new location was unknown to law enforcement. DCP Chauhan stated that Rawat has a pattern of changing his address after being arrested and released on bail to evade surveillance. He had previously resided in rented accommodations in Sangam Vihar, Chirag Delhi, Dakshin Puri, and near the Nehru Place flyover. The police also revealed that Rawat, who had completed his education up to Class 8, had separated from his wife approximately a year ago. His family resides in Chirag Delhi. He initially worked as a salesman before becoming involved in criminal activities, which led to his disownment by his family. Joint Commissioner of Police (Southern Range) S.K. Jain stated that given the high number of cases involving Rawat, the possibility of his involvement in organized crime is being explored. He added that the police will soon petition the court to seek the cancellation of his bail in several snatching cases. The investigation involved scanning over 1,500 CCTV cameras, including 900 located around embassies and in the vicinity of the incident, and questioning over 200 people, with a particular focus on individuals with prior criminal records and snatchers recently released from jail or on bail.

Source: From salesman to criminal with 26 cases: Who is Sohan, the man who snatched Lok Sabha MP’s gold chain

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