Senior photo journalist robbed of expensive cameras and other equipments in trans yamuna area

It seems that the national capital is in the grip of snatchers and robbers with the existing laws not posing threat or deterrent to these criminals. There have been repeated demand to make the laws dealing with these thefts and snatchers more stringent in order to send across a strong deterrent.

After Covid 19 challenging times there have been spurt in chain snatching, and snatching of valuables with people’s lives at risk especially the working women. There have been several cases of women being robbed in broad daylight and evening hours while travelling in an auto and the later bravely fighting them finally being grievously injured. Several men and women have become physical victim grievously losing their precious valuables.

The rate of resolving these cases is almost negligible with the optimism of retrieval of valuable robbed items extremely bleak.

The spurt in the cases of snatching and robbing of people in every part of the capital has become the order of the day with several cases not even being reported due to fear of reprisal by these criminals and getting involved in legal complexities.

The situation has become so worse now that even journalists are not being spared with a senior photo journalist and active Press Club of India member becoming a victim of these robbers.

According to the news floating in the social media Sipra Das senior Photo journalist and Member of Press Club of India was robbed of her entire camera equipment yesterday evening in East Delhi by a gang of robbers operating as auto rickshaw driver.

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The matter was reported at Shakarpur Police Station, East District, Delhi. The crime took place at about 7.00PM on Mayur Vihar-1 Road. The costly and important equipment robbed from her possession were Canon Zoom lens EF 70-200mm, Canon Zoom lens EF 24-70mm, Canon Speedlight BOO EX-RT (2806113529), EOX 5.0 Mark IV (076053003548)

According to a message in PCI group in case any one contacts’ one of the members of the group regarding sale of equipment, pls be careful and inform/ apprehend the culprit. Pls share with friends in Chandni Chowk market and other contacts.

Senior journalist Indra Vashisht tweeted tagging DCP East, joint CP ER, Home Minister, Delhi Police Commissioner, PMO, Lt Governor and PCI: In Shakar Police Station Area an Auto Rickshaw Driver robbed press photographer Shipra Das of Cameras worth Rs 7 lakhs tweeted journalist Indra Vashisht. There is tremendous exasperation in the media fraternity over this incident of a women photo journalist robbed of expensive cameras. The police authorities are on the job and expect the robbers to be brought to justice.

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On 8 th November, during evening time 65 year old Photo journalist Sipra Dass was waiting for a bus for Noida at School block Shakarpur bus stand. While she was waiting for the bus an auto stopped near her and offered to drop her to Noida charging Rs 50, finally fixed at Rs 30 in which already two persons were sitting on the back seat. Sipra agreed and she sat inside the auto. The driver was insisting her to keep her bag on the back seat.

However, she refused. He said if she will keep her bag on the back seat she will be able to sit comfortably. She agreed n kept her bag on the back seat while one of the back seater sat on the lap of another passenger, he known accomplice.

In the meanwhile, taking her to a lonely place this, auto driver stopped near another auto driver and asked him to drop her to Noida. She agreed and took the bag. On reaching home she noticed that the expensive cameras worth Rs. 7 lakhs were missing. The robbers had taken out the expensive cameras and placed stones inside the bag to match the weight of the camera. And that’s the reason she could not realise that her cameras have been stolen.

According to the report of Indra Vashisht, journalist got her FIR registered in Shakarpur police station n the police is seriously on the job to bring the culprits to justice. Sipra said thank God she is safe. Had she not kept her bag on the rear seat of the auto, she would have been physically attacked. Sipra Dass has worked in leading dailies and magazines including India Today for several decades.

According to an HT analysis of crime data between January 19 and September 20 the Delhi Police have been registering snatching cases as the simple theft, thus allegedly giving it a colour of snatching incidents coming down drastically though anectodal acounts suggests that it is one of the biggest problems plaguing the national capital. The HT report reveals that in 100 cases from January 19 to September 20, about 100 FIRs were registered with victims complaining about bike borne snatchers forcibly taking away their gold chains, jewellery, mobiles etc but the cases were registered for theft under section 379, IPC instead of 356 n 392 IPC for assault n criminal force to commit theft or robbery etc.