Guwahati, April 13: Rongali Bihu — the biggest festival of Assam — has also brought a band of snatchers from North Bengal, giving police many a sleepless night. Given the influx of these criminals ahead of the festive season, incidents of chain snatching have gone up in the state capital with city police sounding a general alert directing all police stations and mobile patrols to step up vigil. Senior superintendent of police (city) Pradip Chandra Saloi said criminal elements from North Bengal and a few from Bihar were involved in the recent cases of snatchings in the city. “We are trying our best to curb such incidents by stepping up patrolling,” he said. Saloi said as a preventive measure, the officers-in-charge of police stations had been asked to draw up a list of persons who were arrested in the past for their involvement in such incidents and keep track of them. “The officers were also directed to carry out investigations into the snatching cases expeditiously and nab the culprits,” he said. Another police official, requesting anonymity, said a general alert had been issued today directing all the police stations and patrol vans to keep vigil to foil any such incident during Bihu. “The alert has been issued as these criminals may try to commit crimes during the festival. They usually target women wearing jewellery,” he said. Two motorcycle-borne goons had snatched a gold chain from a schoolteacher, Poly Borthakur, in broad daylight in the Bora Service area around 2.30pm yesterday. The police source said that involvement of criminals from north Bengal in the snatching cases has been established with the recent arrest of two such crimi- nals from Diphu in Karbi Anglong. They have been identified as Samir Roy, 22, and Vijendra Singh, 36, both hailing from Cooch Behar. “During interrogation, the duo confessed to their involvement in snatching cases in the city. They were brought to the city in connection with a Bharalumukh police station case last Sunday and were remanded in five days’ police custody after they were produced in the court yesterday,” the source said. The duo were allegedly involved in snatching a bag containing cash Rs 19.70 lakh from a businessman, Shiv Shankar Agarwal, in front of his hardware store at Athgaon here on February 22. The source said the two had also confessed that some members of their gang were still on the prowl in the city. He said that since Bihu was a time to splurge, snatchers and petty criminals gain ground during the season. “The run-up to the festive season also brings transactions worth several crores of rupees to the business hubs, which also attracts criminals from the neighbouring states. These criminals usually put up at rented accommodations in shanties and carry out their operations from there,” the source added.
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