4 in cop custody for assaulting man, fleeing with Rs 2.5L cash

Kolkata: Four individuals were arrested on Wednesday night in connection with a daylight robbery on Sarat Bose Road where a private company employee was robbed of nearly Rs 2.5 lakh earlier this week. The suspects, all residents of Ballygunge, were identified and apprehended within 24 hours of the crime after cops checked CCTV camera footage. On Thursday, the accused were produced in the Alipore court and were sent to police custody.

The incident happened on May 26. According to police, Arvind Roy was walking towards Kankulia, carrying Rs 2.5 lakh in cash as instructed by his employer. In his complaint, Roy said he noticed four youths tailing him shortly after he stepped out of the office. They intercepted him on Sarat Bose Road, pushed him to the ground and assaulted him. Despite Roy’s attempts to hold on to the bag of cash, the youths managed to snatch it and flee. Roy’s screams failed to draw an immediate response from passersby.

A team from Ballygunge PS went through CCTV footage from the area and managed to identify the faces and subsequent hideouts of the local youths.

During the court proceedings, Alipore court public prosecutor Sourin Ghoshal strongly opposed bail, informing the bench that a substantial portion of the looted cash had been found in the possession of the youths.

Defence lawyer Saikat Rakshit argued for his clients’ release, contending that the police lacked definitive evidence directly linking them to the snatching incident. The court, however, sided with the prosecution to facilitate further interrogation.

Senior officers said detectives are probing an inside-job angle to determine if any one leaked details regarding the timing and transit route of the cash.