Six snatching incidents in 24 hours haunt residents

Tribune News Service

Amritsar, February 21

With a number of residents, including four women, falling prey to snatchers in the past 24 hours, the menace has raised a question over the law and order situation in the city.

Snatching incidents remain a thorn in the flesh of the Punjab Police as every step they have taken to curb such instances and nail miscreants proved inadequate. The miscreants restart robbing people as soon as they come out of jail on bail. A majority of the snatchers are drug addicts, claimed the police.

Two youths were caught by people when they were trying to escape after snatching a purse of a woman in the Maqbool Road area. Rittu Talwar, the victim, said she, along with her daughter Sani, was going to Ranjit Avenue on her scooter.

She said when they reached near Sukh Sagar Hospital, the accused came from the rear side on another scooter and snatched her purse. However, during the attempt their scooter fell on the road and people overpowered them. They were identified as Atul Chawla and Arim Chopra of the Sarifpura area.

Gurwinder Singh, another snatching victim, told the police that he was returning home after dropping their relatives at the local bus stand.

He said when he reached near his house, two youngsters came on a motorcycle and snatched his mobile phone, Rs 1000 in cash and a wallet containing Rs 4,000.

Soni Goyal, a local resident, was returning home after attending a kitty party when two unknown persons snatched her purse.

She said she was returning home on a rickshaw when the accused came from the rear side and snatched her purse near the SSSS chowk. She said she was having Rs 6,000 in cash, a gold ring and silver ornaments, besides a mobile phone, in the purse.

In a same manner, mobile phones were snatched from Neha Anand, Laxmi and Bhupinder Singh in separate instances.

Police officials said people should also help in eradicating the menace.

They said the public should pass information regarding snatchers in their areas to the police so that they could be arrested and put behind bars.