Mobile phone snatcher held after brief encounter in Noida

A 26-year-old man who allegedly targeted morning walkers and snatched mobile phones was arrested following an encounter with the police on Saturday morning at Sector 21 in Noida.

Police said that the accused has been identified as Suraj Kumar, a resident of Kalyanpuri in Delhi. He has been active since 2015 and there are more than a dozen cases of theft registered against him, added police.

“Over the last few months, police teams have been working actively to nab snatchers in Noida. Investigations revealed a pattern used by the snatchers where they targeted people who were out on morning walks or during the afternoon hours when schools or colleges got over,” said additional deputy commissioner of police Ranvijay Singh.

On Saturday morning, a team from Sector 24 police station was carrying out a routine check during which they signalled the suspect, who was on a bike, to stop. However, he sped and tried to flee the spot.

“Our team surrounded him, following which he opened fire. We retaliated and the suspect received a bullet injury on his leg and was rushed to a hospital for treatment,” Singh said.

A country-made pistol along with one live cartridge, two mobile phones and a stolen motorcycle were recovered from his possession. The accused was booked under Section 307 (attempt to murder) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and Section 3/25 of the Arms Act, police said.

Police added that the suspect has 13 other cases registered against him under Sections 392 (robbery) and 379 (theft) in Delhi, Noida and Ghaziabad.