Mobile phone snatchers on the prowl: 2 cases in 24 hours

BHOPAL: Two cases of mobile phone snatching were reported in the city in a day. The first incident was reported from Piplani locality wherein a girl walking in front of her hostel with her friend was robbed while in the second incident reported from MP Nagar, a youth waiting for a cab in front of BDA office was robbed of his mobile phone worth Rs 17,000.

Piplani police said that a 21-year-old B-Tech student was walking with her friend in front of her hostel in the locality on Thursday night when two unidentified bike-borne man snatched away her mobile phone. She approached police on Friday morning with her parents and lodged a loot complaint.

Investigating officer ASI K P Singh said that the girl, Sakshi Shrivastava, hails from Vidisha and lives in a girl’s hostel in the locality. She stated in her complaint that on Thursday around 8.45pm, she was walking in front of her hostel with her hostel-mate when two bike-borne borne accused allegedly came from behind and snatched away her mobile phone. The accused fled towards BHEL gate number one. She said she tried to chase the accused but the looters managed to escape.

ASI Singh said that the girl said that she could not note down the motorcycle’s registration number due to darkness. Later she informed her parents and approached Piplani police on Friday morning to lodge a complaint.

In the MP Nagar incident, the accused used the same modus operandi. A 26-year-old commuter was waiting for his booked cab in front of BDA office in MP Nagar Zone I on Thursday at around 7.30pm when two bike-borne men allegedly snatched away his mobile phone worth Rs 17,000.

Police said Prince Malvendra Singh Rathore, a resident of Salaiya Tower in Shahpura, is manager at a private insurance company. He told police that he was waiting for a cab in front of BDA office and was checking SMS on his mobile phone when the two bike-borne accused reached there and the pillion rider snatched away his phone. Police said that they have initiated investigations in the matter.