Agra tourist dies in Amritsar during snatching bid

Tribune News Service

PK Jaiswar

Amritsar, January 4

In yet another instance, a tourist lost his life after he was pulled out of a running auto-rickshaw during snatching. The victim suffered a serious head injury and succumbed on his way to hospital on Friday.

Past incidents

• In a similar incident, a woman tourist, Meenakshi Kumari from Gujarat, had lost her life on May 31 last year when she along with her family was going to the airport. She was also pulled out of an auto-rickshaw by miscreants, while snatching her purse
• In April 2021, a 21-year-old girl was killed after two bikers pulled her out of an auto-rickshaw while snatching her mobile phone. The victim, Rajni, was critically injured in the incident and died later
• In June 2018, an Anganwari teacher Paramjit Kaur was killed after she fell from her scooter in a snatching incident. Two motorcyclists had snatched her purse. Her daughter was also injured in the incident. The incident had occurred outside the Police Commissioner’s Office

The victim identified as Ganga Maya of Agra in Uttar Pradesh along with his friend was returning after watching the Beating the Retreat ceremony at the Attari-Wagah joint check post. Though the police have registered a case against unknown snatchers, it was still clueless in the case.

The unabated instances of snatching have brought disgrace to the holy city which is among the most visited tourist places in the nation. Tourists have been the prime targets of the miscreants.

Atul Kumar, the complainant and friend of the deceased, told the police that he along with Ganga had come to witness the retreat ceremony at Attari-Wagah joint check post. After the ceremony, they were returning to city in an auto-rickshaw, while some other passengers were also there in the vehicle. He said after around five minutes, two motorcycle-borne persons came from behind and snatched a bag from Ganga. In the instance, he was also pulled out of the rickshaw. He fell on the road and suffered serious head and other injuries.

He was taken to a nearby private hospital from where he was referred to another hospital in the city. When they reached there, the doctors declare him dead. The police have registered a case of culpable homicide and snatching against unknown snatchers.

In a similar incident, a woman tourist, Meenakshi Kumari from Gujarat, had lost her life on May 31 last year when she along with her family was going to the airport. She was also pulled out of an auto-rickshaw by miscreants, while snatching her purse.

Similarly, in April 2021, a 21-year-old girl was killed after two bikers pulled her out of an auto-rickshaw while snatching her mobile phone. The victim, Rajni, was critically injured in the incident and died later.

In June 2018, an Anganwari teacher Paramjit Kaur was killed after she fell from her scooter in a snatching incident. Two motorcyclists had snatched her purse. Her daughter was also injured in the incident. The incident had occurred outside the Police Commissioner’s Office at that time.