Mangalwara police arrested a robber and recovered valuables worth Rs 1.5 lakh from his possession on Tuesday, ending a two-month-old snatching case.
On March 5, 2025, Abhilasha Pratap of Talaiya, Bhopal, reported that two men on a motorcycle snatched her green handbag near Sangam Tiraha in the early hours. The bag contained a gold mangalsutra with a pendant and eight gold beads, a VIVO mobile phone, four silver toe rings, and Rs 800 in cash.
Following her complaint, a case was registered under Section 304(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and an investigation was launched. Police utilized an informer network and scrutinized CCTV footage to track down the suspects.
On May 19, police received a tip-off that a man matching the suspect’s description — wearing a black T-shirt, jeans, and bearing a tattoo on the left side of his neck — was spotted near Double Gate attempting to sell the stolen mangalsutra and mobile phone.
Acting swiftly, the police arrested the suspect, identified as 22-year-old Deepu Kumar Chauhan, son of Brijlal Chauhan, residing at Slum Vikas Nagar, Govindpura, Bhopal. During interrogation, Deepu confessed to the snatching incident.
Recovered from his possession were the stolen mangalsutra with pendant, eight gold beads, the VIVO mobile phone, four silver toe rings, Rs 800 in cash, and the motorcycle used in the crime. The total value of the recovered items is estimated at Rs 1,50,000.
Perhaps most concerning was the discovery that 61 buses lacked legally mandated safety equipment such as first-aid kits and fire extinguishers, posing serious risks to passengers.
The tragic incident, which occurred just a month before Dr. Ayesha’s wedding, exposed significant safety lapses and prompted this intensive enforcement campaign across all four traffic zones.
Following the probe, Bhopal RTO Jitendra Sharma was suspended, and TT Nagar police in-charge Sadhir Arajaria was line-attached. Notices have also been issued to the school operating the bus involved in the fatal accident.