Riding a Maruti Suzuki Wagon R, a snatcher duo struck four times in Panchkula within a span of six hours past Sunday midnight, taking away mobile phones as well as cash after asking for directions.
But police put an end to the snatching spree by swiftly arresting the two accused, identified as Happy from Bathinda and Saurab Singh of Peer Muchalla, Zirakpur. Police recovered five snatched mobile phones from them.
The duo first prowled in Sector 11, where they targeted Navneet, who delivers orders for Swiggy. A resident of Sector 38 West, Chandigarh, Navneet said he was in Panchkula to deliver food around 12 am, when two men in a Wagon R intercepted him. They were armed and fled after snatching his mobile phone.
Around 30 minutes later, they stopped Aman Kumar Jha, hailing from Bihar and presently staying in Abheypur village, Panchkula, near the Sector 10-11 roundabout.
After asking him for directions, one of the snatchers restrained him, while the other took out his mobile phone and fled in the car after threatening to kill him.
Soon after, they snatched two mobile phones and ₹1,000 from Balwinder Singh of Sirsa, currently living in Haripur, Sector 4, Panchkula, and his friend Shivdas.
{{/usCountry}}Soon after, they snatched two mobile phones and ₹1,000 from Balwinder Singh of Sirsa, currently living in Haripur, Sector 4, Panchkula, and his friend Shivdas.
{{/usCountry}}Balwinder told the police that he worked at Sindhi Sweets in Sector 11. He, along with his friends Raman and Shivdas, who also work with him, were going to Amritsar, when the snatchers attacked them.
Around 6 am, a morning walker fell prey to the snatchers near Tawa Chowk. The victim, Ankit, hailing from Uttar Pradesh and living in Haripur, told the police that he was walking towards Haripur. On reaching near Tawa Chowk, two men in a Wagon R asked him for directions. As he was guiding them, they restrained him and snatched his mobile phone as well as ₹3,000. When he resisted the attack, they threatened to kill him.
After receiving complaints from the four victims, police launched a probe and arrested the accused within hours. They will be produced before a court on Wednesday. Apart from the snatched mobile phones, police also recovered the car used in the crimes.
Police said the accused were drug addicts and turned to crime to fund their addiction.
All four cases were registered under Section 379-A (snatching) of the Indian Penal Code at the Sector 5 police station.