Salt Lake snatching: Three persons arrested

Kolkata: Bidhannagar Police's prompt action has led to the arrest of three persons in connection with snatching of valuables from an elderly woman that took place in Salt Lake on Thursday.

After examining the CCTV footages of the area, the police identified the accused and arrested them from Howrah's Belur area. They have been identified as Md Gaffar, Bittu Chauhan and Umesh Gupta.

Gaffar was originally from Delhi while the others were from Bhagalpur. They have been residing in Howrah for quite some time. During interrogation, the accused told the police that they used to visit various places in the city and its adjoining areas posing as kitchen utensil-sellers. They had been involved in a number of snatching incidents in various places. Police also came to know during the investigation that all the accused used to drive vehicles to avoid suspicions of the locals. A team of Bidhannagar Police raided a house at Belur and arrested all the accused on Friday night.

It was learnt that the trio admitted to committing the crime and also revealed their entire modus-operandi to the investigators. The incident took place at AG Block of Salt Lake on Thursday.

According to the cops, a woman approached the main gate of the house at AG Block on Thursday afternoon and pressed the calling bell. An elderly woman, Kasturi Majumdar, came up to the main gate and the accused woman introduced herself as a kitchen utensil seller. Later she hurled a liquid aiming both of Majumdar's hands. The victim told the police that she had no sensation immediately after the liquid was sprinkled. She then snatched four gold bangles from both her hands. A youth was standing at a distance who accompanied the woman while fleeing the spot in a car, parked on the other side of the road. A detailed probe has been initiated.