- Sunday, November 24, 2024
During a meeting with the British politician in New Delhi, Devin Narang, founder of India’s Sundev Renewables, said that people were being ‘mugged’ in Mayfair, the heart of London.
By: Shubham Ghosh
BUSINESS leaders in India have complained to shadow foreign secretary David Lammy, who is currently on a tour of India, alleging crime rates are on the rise in London, including theft of Rolex watches, the Financial Times reported.
During a meeting with the British politician in New Delhi, Devin Narang, founder of local Sundev Renewables, said that people were being ‘mugged’ in Mayfair, the heart of London. The energy entrepreneur also listed crime in the British capital as one of the biggest concerns for Indian businessmen.
“All CEOs in India have had an experience of physical mugging,” the FT quoted Narang, a member of the executive committee of the Federation of Indian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as saying. He also alleged that the local police were not taking the matter seriously and that was a serious concern.
Read: Labour MPs Lammy, Reynolds in India to discuss fresh strategic ties; slam Tories
Excellent to be in Delhi with @jreynoldsMP.
Our ambition does not stop with a trade deal. It starts with it. India is pivotal to future global growth.@UKLabour will seek a new UK-India strategic partnership on new and green technologies, alongside economic and global security. pic.twitter.com/VFJEOKkrZh
— David Lammy (@DavidLammy) February 5, 2024
“You don’t want to go to a city where you’re likely to be mugged in the streets. It doesn’t make you feel comfortable. You can walk anywhere in Delhi and you won’t be mugged,” Narang was further quoted by the newspaper.
Read: Labour makes effort to win back British Indians’ blessings
London has witnessed a surge in street crime with “theft from a person” — a category that includes incidents such as stealing watches, handbags and mobile phones — growing by 27 per cent in 2023 compared to 2022.
According to data from the Metropolitan Police, 2023 saw 72,756 such incidents in London, up from 57,468 the year before, the FT report added.
Mayfair, which is located in the district of Westminster, has particularly seen a rise in crime rates, with theft from a person growing 40 per cent. The year 2023 witnessed 25,650 such incidents, more than 18,310 in 2022.
Police officers also reported a rise in snatching of mobile phones and watches carried out by two-wheeler-borne gangs.
A spokesperson for London mayor Sadiq Khan, who supervises the Met, said the police have intensified their efforts in addressing the surge in robberies nationwide. The official also said that the cops have deployed specialised teams to actively target the most frequent offenders and areas with high incidences of robbery.
Lammy, who reached India with shadow business and trade secretary Jonathan Reynolds over talks on geopolitics and commerce while New Delhi and London continue to work on a bilateral trade pact, said on Tuesday (6) that he heard a lot of complaints over the risks of Rolex watches getting stolen in the British capital during his short stay in Delhi.
He also said that “security and fighting crime” would be key priorities for the Labour Party under Keir Starmer if it won the next general election, likely later this year, the FT report added.
