Snatcher injured in police firing while trying to flee from custody

A snatcher involved in two incidents of targeting Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) sustained a bullet injury on his leg while unsuccessfully attempting to escape from police custody after snatching a rifle from a police personnel here on Tuesday. The snatcher has been identified as Suraj, alias Mandi, a resident of Bhindi Saidan village in Amritsar.

Commissioner of Police (CP), Amritsar, Gurpreet Singh Bhullar said the accused was traced and arrested by a team of Civil Lines police station, following a detailed investigation into these cases. The police have launched a search operation to apprehend accomplices of the injured robber.

Police Commissioner Gurpreet Singh Bhullar stated that the injured had hidden robbed items at the crime scene, which led the police to bring him to vacant plots on the Verka-Majitha bypass for recovery. However, the accused attempted to snatch a police rifle, prompting the police to retaliate in self-defence.

The injured snatcher has been hospitalised. A search is underway for his accomplice, identified as Gurkirat, who was involved in a crime. Duo had targeted two NRI women and snatched their hand bags. In one of the snatching incidents, a woman was also injured.

Police officials said all the stolen items, £300, €600 and Rs 22,000 in cash, passports, mobile phones, ATM cards, Barclay card, Revolut card and National ID Card of Mauritius have been recovered. Meanwhile, the Amritsar police have earned appreciation from two international visitors for their prompt and effective response in recovering stolen belongings. Both individuals, visiting the city from the UK and Mauritius, had fallen victim to theft in separate incidents during their stay.

A complainant residing in England stated in her complaint on November 24 that she, along with her daughter, travelled from England to Delhi and reached Amritsar. They checked into a hotel on the Queen’s Road. On the same day, both went to have lunch at Bhrawan Da Dhaba. After finishing their meal, they boarded an e-rickshaw to return to the Queen’s Road. Around 1.30 pm, as the e-rickshaw reached the railway flyover bridge in front of Hall Gate, a young man riding an Activa scooter approached them from behind. The man, wearing a black jacket, snatched the complainant’s purse and fled on his scooter. The stolen purse contained a passport to UK, iPhone, ICICI Bank ATM card, Barclay card, Revolut card, American Express card, sunglasses, etc.

Similarly, a case was registered based on a written complaint by Premita Qureshi, a resident of Mauritius, stating that at around 10.30 pm on November 21, she was travelling in an auto-rickshaw from Darbar Sahib to Hotel Golden Velvet, Gagan Colony, Batala Road. At approximately 10.45 pm, near Care and Cure Hospital on Batala Road, two young men on an Activa scooter approached them, snatched her purse from the auto-rickshaw, and fled. The stolen purse contained a Samsung mobile phone, Passport (Republic of Mauritius), her visa, National ID Card of Mauritius, Rs 600 (Euros), and Rs 20,000 (Indian Rupees). The case was registered and initial investigation was conducted by SI Rajbir Singh.