Ukrainian Envoy’s Phone Snatched While Clicking Snaps of Red Fort

One person has been held for snatching the envoy’s phone.

The Red fort in Delhi.

(Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons) 

Ukrainian Ambassador Igor Polikha's mobile phone was snatched while he was taking pictures of the Red Fort, following which one person was arrested on 22 September, the police said.

The snatched iPhone has also been recovered, said Jatin Narwal, Deputy Commissioner of Police (North).

Polikha was alone at the time of the incident that took place on 20 September morning. He was clicking pictures of the Red Fort while standing on a road near the monument, when a man came towards him, they said.

In his complaint, the envoy claimed that the man snatched his iPhone within seconds and fled from there.

Following the incident, police rounded up more than 100 suspects and questioned them.

The police did not have any clues to the accused since none of the CCTV cameras, installed in the area, captured his face clearly. 

However, the priest of the temple, where the Ambassador was standing when his phone was snatched, helped the police prepare the sketch of the accused. The sketch was circulated among pavement dwellers living in the areas nearby, said an officer privy to the probe.

He added that the police also questioned the people who are in the business of buying stolen mobile phones, and through this the police managed to identify the accused.

However, when the police reached his residence in Nand Nagri he was found to be on the run. They caught hold of his accomplice, Rajender Prasad (26), who was standing guard when the accused fled with the Ambassador's phone, the officer said.

Narwal said the police were conducting raids to nab him the main accused.

Police said Polikha is a photography enthusiast. His phone contained pictures he had clicked and some personal information.