CHANDIGARH: A snatcher was shot in the leg by the Punjab Police after being involved in two incidents of snatching from Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) who had come to Amritsar from the United Kingdom (UK) and Mauritius. He also unsuccessfully attempted to escape from police custody after snatching a rifle from police personnel.
The Director General of Police, Punjab, Gaurav Yadav, said today that the arrested snatcher, Suraj alias Mandi, a resident of Bhindisaida village in Amritsar, was shot in the leg during a swift action to ensure that no harm came to the police personnel or bystanders.
He added that, in one of the snatching incidents, a woman was also injured.
Sharing more details, Amritsar Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said that the accused, Suraj, was traced and arrested by the team from Police Station Civil Lines, Amritsar City, following a detailed investigation into these cases.
He further stated that all the stolen items, including £300, €600, ₹22,000 in cash, passports, mobile phones, ATM cards, a Barclay card, Revolut card, and a National ID card of Mauritius, had been recovered.
Meanwhile, the Amritsar Police received appreciation from two international visitors for their prompt and effective response in recovering the stolen belongings. Both individuals, visiting the city from the UK and Mauritius, had fallen victim to theft in separate incidents during their stay.
In the first case, Anjali Majithia, along with her daughter, had come from England to Delhi and reached Amritsar on November 24. They checked into Hotel Best Western Queens, Amritsar. On the same day, they went to have lunch at Bhrawan Da Dhaba. After finishing their meal, they boarded an e-rickshaw to return to their hotel. As the e-rickshaw reached the railway flyover bridge in front of Hall Gate, a young man riding an Activa scooter approached from behind. The man, wearing a black jacket, snatched the complainant’s purse and fled on his scooter. The stolen purse contained her passport (United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland), iPhone, ICICI Bank ATM card, Barclay card, Revolut card, American Express card, sunglasses (D&G brand), £300, and ₹2,000 in cash (Indian currency).
The second case was registered based on a written complaint by Premita Qureshi, wife of Adik Qureshi, a resident of GSS Road, Goodlands, Mauritius. She stated that on November 21, she was traveling in an auto-rickshaw from Golden Temple to Hotel Golden Velvet, Gagan Colony, Batala Road. At approximately 10:45 PM, near Care and Cure Hospital, two young men on an Activa scooter approached, snatched her purse from the auto-rickshaw, and fled. The stolen purse contained a Samsung mobile phone, passport (Republic of Mauritius), visa, National ID card of Mauritius, €600 (Euros), and ₹20,000 (Indian currency).