Cops foil snatching attempts at Exide

Kolkata: Two back-to-back

snatching

attempts were foiled by sergeants, constables and civic volunteers of South Traffic Guard at

Exide

Crossing on Wednesday morning. In both incidents, the targets were bus passengers. Two persons have been arrested.

“We believe an old, organized racket is behind the snatching attempts,” said a police officer. Police presence in the area has been strengthened.

According to the traffic department, the first incident was reported around 11am on Wednesday. “Sergeant Amal Prasad was on duty at Exide crossing when he noticed commotion inside a bus plying on route 230 (Alipore Zoo-Kamarhati). Three women passengers were shouting for help. Prasad quickly realized that one of their mobile phones had been snatched and the snatcher was trying to flee. He tried to stop him but he fled further towards the east of AJC Bose Road and entered Lord Sinha Road.

Civic volunteer Mrinal Harijan — on duty at the AJC Bose Road-Lord Sinha Road crossing — got a transmission from Prasad. Harijan chased him down from Lord Sinha Road for another 100m before nabbing the accused.

Barely two hours later, Anshuman Das of South traffic guard was on duty when he noticed that one person travelling in a minibus screaming for help. A gang was trying to snatch his belongings and the man had managed to catch hold of one of them. Das immediately got inside the bus and nabbed the accused, later identified as Asghar Hussain. The complainant — Ratikanta Barik — said the accused was trying to snatch his costly mobile phone.

Both the accused have been handed over to Shakespeare Sarani police station.