An alleged professional thief injured his own right hand and checked into a hospital in Agartala in an apparent attempt to escape police action, but investigators tracked him down and arrested him from his hospital bed today.
Key Takeaways:
- The alleged mastermind cut his own hand and admitted himself to a hospital to avoid arrest.
- Police arrested him from Agartala Government Medical College and Govind Ballabh Pant Hospital.
- The case began with the alleged snatching of a Rs 1.75 lakh gold necklace from an elderly woman in Bankumari.
Tripura police arrested an alleged professional thief from a hospital in Agartala after he reportedly cut his own hand to avoid arrest following a gold-chain snatching, officials said on September 15.
The unusual attempt to evade police came after an elderly woman lost a gold necklace worth Rs 1.75 lakh in Bankumari. Two motorcycle-borne men allegedly targeted her during a morning walk on September 11.
Police later identified one suspect and seized the motorcycle allegedly used in the crime. Investigators then intensified the search for the alleged mastermind.
The suspect, however, reportedly took an unusual step to stay out of police custody. He allegedly cut his right hand and admitted himself to Agartala Government Medical College and Govind Ballabh Pant Hospital.
The move did not stop investigators from tracking him down.
A police team led by East Agartala police station Officer-in-Charge Krishnadhan Sarkar reached the hospital. Police arrested the alleged mastermind from his hospital bed.
Police Search Intensifies After Gold Chain Snatching
The case dates back to the early morning of September 11.
Gita Rani Das (Deb), an elderly resident, had gone for a morning walk with a neighbour in the Bankumari area on the outskirts of Agartala.
Two men riding a motorcycle allegedly approached the woman and snatched her gold necklace. The stolen jewellery had a reported value of Rs 1.75 lakh.
The woman later lodged a complaint at the East Agartala police station.
Police immediately began investigating the incident. Sarkar led the operation to identify and apprehend those involved.
Investigators collected information from the area and examined CCTV footage.
The footage showed two helmet-wearing persons travelling on a motorcycle. Police also found footage that allegedly showed the duo snatching the woman’s necklace.
Stolen Motorcycle Used in the Crime
Police had already detained one of the alleged thieves during the investigation.
They also impounded the motorcycle that the duo allegedly used during the snatching.
Investigators found that the motorcycle itself had allegedly been stolen by the two suspects before they used it in the gold-chain crime.
The development gave investigators a crucial lead. However, the alleged mastermind remained at large. Police then expanded their search to several locations in and around Agartala.
A team headed by Sarkar, an inspector-rank officer, continued the operation based on information gathered during the investigation.
The search eventually led police to the government hospital.
Police Catch Suspect From Hospital Bed
The alleged mastermind had already admitted himself to the hospital after reportedly cutting his right hand.
Police believe the injury formed part of his attempt to evade arrest.
Instead of remaining outside the reach of investigators, the suspect ended up under police custody inside the hospital. Police arrested him from his hospital bed. Investigators also learned that the main accused had allegedly sold the stolen necklace to a jewellery shop in Agartala.
The information has become part of the ongoing investigation into the case.
Gold Chain Snatching Cases Raise Concern
The Agartala incident comes amid several gold-chain snatching cases reported in different districts of Tripura in recent months.
Police recently arrested two youths from Bihar over an alleged chain-snatching incident in West Tripura district.
According to police, the two accused entered the house of Radha Rani Debbarma on the pretext of cleaning utensils.
No male member of the family was present at the time, police said.
The accused allegedly used the opportunity to snatch a gold chain from the woman. They then fled on a motorcycle, according to police.
Another chain-snatching case surfaced during the Rath Yatra festival in Gomati district.
Police arrested two women in connection with a series of alleged chain-snatching incidents during the festival. Investigators recovered nine stolen gold chains worth around Rs 22 lakh, police officials said.
The incidents occurred during the annual Rath Yatra at the historic Jagannath Bari in Udaipur.
The festival attracted a large number of devotees.
The latest Agartala investigation has now taken an unusual turn with the alleged mastermind attempting to use a self-inflicted injury and hospital admission to avoid arrest. Police nevertheless traced him to the hospital and took him into custody.
