NEW DELHI: Street criminals seem to be striking with such impunity in the capital that even law enforcers are not spared. Snatchers smashed the rear window of a judge’s car while she was driving home from work and fled with her bag containing her wallet, valuable documents and debit cards at a traffic signal near Okhla Industrial Area on Wednesday evening.

The judge told police that the two men had followed her for a few kilometres on their bike and even signalled her to stop, pointing to her car tyre. When she ignored them, the men pulled up beside her car and broke the car window to lift the bag.

The judge said though she heard the sound of breaking glass, she did not realise that her car window had been smashed till someone on the road drew her attention to it.

Prime facie probe suggests the role of the gang that draws the attention of drivers and steals their belongings. A manhunt has been launched in areas around Tigri and Ambedkar Nagar from where such gangs have operated in the past.

The criminals used to earlier target vehicles parked on the road but they seem to have become bolder and more brazen in recent days.

In her complaint, the judge said the theft happened around 8pm when she was driving back to her residence near the Saket courts.

Snatchers hinted car had ‘flat tyre’

The judge said the two men had started following her when she had slowed down near the Sarita Vihar underpass. Soon, they pulled up beside her and started pointing towards her car, gesturing that she had a flat tyre.

“I did not stop since I realised what they were up to and decided to drive on. Both men were wearing helmets and drove behind my vehicle, keeping a distance, till I reached Maa Anandamayee Marg,” she said.

When the car stopped at a traffic signal at the Maa Anandmayee Marg-Govindpuri crossing, the judge heard the sound of shattering glass, after which the men suddenly drove past her at high speed. Soon after, a passerby pointed out that two men had smashed the rear window of the car and lifted her handbag containing her IDs and debit cards.

The judge reported the matter to the police control room (PCR) and cops at the Okhla police station. A crime and forensic team was called to the scene to lift evidence, after which a case of theft and causing damage was registered, based on her statement.

Hours after the incident, the judge received a call from a lawyer in Jamia Nagar who had found her wallet lying on the road and contacted her from the number given on her ID card.

Cops suspect the criminals are from the area or had fled through Jamia Nagar. CCTV cameras are being scanned to identify the men.