Chain-snatchers would now be chained for 14 years in the jail
Representational Image.
Owing to the sharp rise in the number of chain-snatching cases, stricter laws have been proposed by the state government against them.
The proposed punishment include a maximum imprisonment of 14 years, and a fine of Rs 25,000.
Currently, chain-snatching is classified under theft, and the offenders are booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Section 379, which carries a maximum imprisonment of three years.
With the new proposed law, the state government wants to add IPC sections 379A and 379B to the current laws. With the addition of these laws, chain-snatching will no longer be a bailable offence.
The convicts will be subjected with rigorous imprisonment for a term not less than five years, which may extend upto a 10 years. For chainsnatching with the use of a weapon, the punishment may extend to upto 14 years. Besides, a fine of Rs 25,000 will remain mandatory in both the cases.
The proposal is scheduled to be cleared by the State Cabinet on Tuesday.
