Cellphone snatchers’ gang busted, 4 held

Amritsar, December 24

With the arrest of four persons, the Maqboolpura police today claimed to have busted a gang of snatchers here today. The police recovered three mobile phones and a toy gun from their possession.

Those arrested were identified as Saleem Singh, a resident of Wadali Dogra, Jandiala, Sukhdev Singh and Pawandeep Singh, both residents of Manawala Kalan village, and Mandeep Singh, a resident of the Majitha road here.

Gurinderbir Singh, Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP), said an unknown youth had snatched a mobile phone and Rs 3,530 in cash from a local resident identified as Rahul Arora when he was returning home after paying obeisance at the Golden Temple.

When the victim reached near Vir Enclave, an unidentified person approached him and snatched his mobile phone and cash on gunpoint.

The ACP said during probe, the police recovered mobile phone from Mandeep Singh, a resident of Jagamba Colony, where he runs a saloon. Mandeep told the police that he purchased the mobile phone from Pawandeep Singh, who runs a telecom shop at Manawala Kalan, at

Rs 3,500. The DCP said Pawandeep was arrested. During probe, Pawandeep revealed that he bought the mobile phone from Sukhdev Singh for

Rs 3,000. Sukhdev’s interrogation led the police to Saleem Singh, who along with his accomplice Ranjit Singh, alias Bawa, had snatched the mobile phone from Rahul four days ago.

The ACP said Saleem’s interrogation helped the police in solving five snatching cases reported this month. Saleem disclosed that he and Ranjit snatched two mobile phones near Amritsar Engineering College on December 2 while another cellphone was snatched by them on December 5 from a person on the Vallah flyover. Saleem said on December 10, they snatched a mobile phone from a person on the Bandala highway and on December 15 near Best Price on the main GT Road. The duo snatched another mobile phone near Rajewal village.

Saleem told the police that they sold these mobile phones to Sonu, who further sold these to Sahil, aka Billa, who runs a mobile phone shop at Liberty Market here. The ACP said raids were on to nab them.