New Delhi: Two Delhi residents — a 26-year-old tech worker and a 60-year-old civic employee — showed remarkable presence of mind in separate incidents last week, turning the tables on armed or fleeing assailants. Their quick reactions not only foiled the crimes but also helped police arrest one suspect and forced another group to abandon their robbery attempt. In northwest Delhi’s Mukherjee Nagar, IT professional Kunal Irungbam, who hails from Manipur and lives in Sant Nagar, was travelling to GTB Nagar in an e-rickshaw around 11.30am on Jan 29 when two men on a motorcycle snatched his iPhone. Reacting instantly, Irungbam grabbed the pillion rider’s collar, causing the bike to skid and both men to fall. Passers-by stepped in and restrained the pillion rider while the driver fled.
Police arrested the man, identified as Sohail, 24, of Jahangirpuri. He later told investigators that the rider who fled was Samad, also from the same area. An FIR was registered under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. Police are searching for the second suspect. In south Delhi’s RK Puram, Mohar Singh, a 60-year-old NDMC pump operator, also showed presence of mind when three men on a motorcycle intercepted him near the ARD Complex around 7.30am on Jan 26. Singh told police that he initially assumed the men were asking for directions. “However, the pillion rider got off and stood in front of my motorcycle, pulled a knife from his pocket and threatened me, demanding all my belongings. Another man began searching my pockets for cash, while the driver took my motorcycle keys,” he said. Singh acted quickly. He got off his motorcycle and struck the assailants with his helmet, forcing all three to abandon the robbery attempt and flee. Before calling the police, he managed to note down their motorcycle registration number. A case was registered at RK Puram police station, and officers are scanning CCTV footage to identify the attackers. Last month, five Delhi residents — including three friends who chased down two suspects in Ashok Nagar — also intervened to stop crimes and assist police.
