Noida encounter: Two chain snatchers arrested, ₹2.19 lakh cash and stolen bike seized
Synopsis
Key Takeaways
Noida police arrested two alleged chain snatchers — identified as Salman and Tanveer — following an encounter in the Sector 39 police station area of Noida, Uttar Pradesh's Gautam Buddha Nagar district, on Thursday night. Both suspects sustained bullet injuries during retaliatory firing and were taken into custody before being shifted to hospital for treatment. Police recovered a stolen motorcycle, ₹2.19 lakh in cash, two pistols, and cartridges from their possession.
How the Encounter Unfolded
The operation was part of a district-wide vehicle-check drive conducted on the orders of senior officials, according to the Additional Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP). Personnel from the Sector 39 police station were deployed to check vehicles in Sector 43 when they spotted two individuals riding a motorcycle near the Sector 49 red light acting suspiciously.
When officers signalled the riders to stop, the duo allegedly attempted to flee at high speed. Their motorcycle skidded and fell, reportedly due to wet road conditions from rain. Finding themselves surrounded, the suspects allegedly opened fire at the police team. Officers retaliated in self-defence, injuring both men.
Who Are the Accused
During interrogation, the arrested men identified themselves as Salman and Tanveer. According to the ADCP, 48 cases and 54 cases, respectively, related to robbery, theft, and snatching are registered against them across the Delhi-NCR region. Police said further legal proceedings are underway.
A Second Encounter in Sector 63
In a separate incident, Noida police had earlier arrested an alleged notorious criminal following an encounter in the Sector 63 area. A police team was checking vehicles near the Garhi roundabout late at night when a motorcycle without a number plate approached the checkpoint. The rider allegedly attempted to flee and, according to police, launched a potentially fatal attack on the officers.
Police retaliated, injuring the accused, who was subsequently identified as Shivam alias Shubham Rajput, 28, a resident of the Ashram area in Sector 63. The motorcycle was found to be stolen, and an illegal .315-bore pistol along with cartridges were recovered from the scene.
Pattern of Targeted Anti-Crime Operations
The twin encounters are part of a broader crackdown on chain-snatching and motorcycle-borne crime in the Gautam Buddha Nagar district. This comes amid heightened police activity in the Delhi-NCR corridor, where chain-snatching cases have drawn repeated scrutiny from courts and civic bodies. Notably, the sheer volume of prior cases registered against Salman and Tanveer — a combined 102 cases — underscores longstanding concerns about repeat offenders cycling through the criminal justice system.