Chanakyapuri ka chor: How chain-snatcher's jail-bail-repeat career came to an end when he targeted an MP

The Print

06-08-2025

But that was the end of his self admiration, because very soon, television channels were flashing the face of his victim, and he realised this time he had gone too far. Just out on bail a week ago for an earlier crime, he did not want to go back to prison after just a week of freedom.
On the prowl in his usual haunt, Chanakyapuri's Diplomatic Enclave, the 24-year-old was cruising on his Scooty, looking for unsuspecting prey. He cruised by first-time MP representing Mayiladuthurai constituency, allegedly snatched the gold chain from her neck and rode off, patting himself on the back for his finesse.
New Delhi: It was business as usual for Sohan Rawat on the morning of 4 August. The business of chain-snatching, that is. Only, the victim wasn't usual. It was Tamil Nadu Congress MP R. Sudha.
But his victim, who was also injured slightly in the chain snatching, wasn't taking the incident lightly. She wrote to Home Minister Amit Shah, narrating her ordeal in the heavily guarded Chanakyapuri.
Sure enough, with several Delhi Police teams on the hunt, Sohan was arrested from Harkesh Nagar in Delhi's Okhla Industrial Area on Wednesday.
Also read: Crime stories dominated Indian TV news headlines—murder, suicide to execution
How the case was cracked
Sources say, the Delhi Police looked through footage from about a hundred CCTV cameras, and traced Sohan's blue Scooty from MotiBagh to the Chanakyapuri area.
The police spoke to locals, showed them the footage, and identified Sohan. 'These efforts led to the identification and arrest of the accused, who was using a stolen Suzuki Access Scooty to commit the crime,' a senior police officer said.
According to the police, Sohan is a habitual offender and has cases lodged against him across various police stations in Delhi. Previous cases against him include theft, snatching and motor vehicle theft. There are cases even under sections of the Arms Act across the jurisdictions of Amar Colony, Sunlight Colony, R.K. Puram, Lajpat Nagar, Inder Puri, Kalkaji, Hauz Khas, Mandawali, Fatehpur Beri, Defence Colony, Ambedkar Nagar, Naraina and Saket, among others.
The MP's gold chain has been recovered from Sohan. Additionally, the stolen Scooty used in the crime has also been seized along with four mobile phones, suspected to have been snatched or stolen.
'The accused is currently under further interrogation for ascertaining his involvement in other recent incidents of snatching and vehicle theft,' the officer said.
(Edited by Viny Mishra)
Also read: Bihar ADG linking farmers to rising crime uncalled for. Data just doesn't support such claims