Tripura thief cuts own hand to dodge arrest, nabbed from hospital bed
Synopsis
A professional thief wanted for snatching a ₹1.75 lakh gold chain from an elderly Agartala woman allegedly cut his own right hand to gain hospital cover and dodge arrest — but Tripura police tracked him down and handcuffed him in his ward. The case is the latest in a mounting wave of chain-snatching incidents across the state.
Key Takeaways
A professional thief in Agartala, Tripura allegedly cut his own right hand to secure hospital admission and evade arrest on 15 September 2026 .
The accused was wanted for snatching a ₹1.75 lakh gold necklace from elderly resident Gita Rani Das (Deb) in the Bankumari area on 11 September .
Police led by Inspector Krishnadhan Sarkar arrested him from the Agartala Government Medical College and Govind Ballabh Pant Hospital .
The accused allegedly sold the stolen necklace at a jewellery shop in Agartala before checking himself into hospital.
The case is part of a wider pattern: nine gold chains worth ₹22 lakh were separately recovered in Gomati district following Rath Yatra-linked thefts.
A self-inflicted injury failed to shield a professional thief from justice in Agartala, Tripura, after he allegedly slashed his own right hand to secure hospital admission and evade police — only to be apprehended from his hospital bed on Tuesday, 15 September 2026. The accused had been wanted for snatching a ₹1.75 lakh gold necklace from an elderly woman and allegedly riding a stolen motorcycle during the crime.
How the Crime Unfolded
On the morning of 11 September, two bike-borne men allegedly snatched a gold chain from Gita Rani Das (Deb), an elderly resident of the Bankumari area on the outskirts of Agartala city, while she was on her morning walk with a neighbour. The woman subsequently filed a complaint with the East Agartala police station, triggering a formal investigation.
According to police, the motorcycle used in the snatching had itself been stolen by the duo earlier. Officers detained one of the two suspects and impounded the vehicle shortly after the complaint was lodged. However, the alleged mastermind remained at large.
CCTV Trail and the Hospital Arrest
Investigators, led by Krishnadhan Sarkar, Officer-in-Charge of the East Agartala police station, reviewed closed-circuit television footage from the vicinity. The footage reportedly showed two helmet-wearing individuals on a motorcycle committing the snatch. Armed with this evidence, the team conducted search operations across several locations in and around the state capital.
The breakthrough came when the accused was traced to the Agartala Government Medical College and Govind Ballabh Pant Hospital. According to officials, he had reportedly cut his own right hand to necessitate hospitalisation and avoid being picked up by police. Despite the ruse, Inspector Sarkar's team arrested him from his ward. It is further alleged that the suspect had sold the stolen necklace at a jewellery shop in Agartala before seeking cover at the hospital.
A Pattern of Chain-Snatching Across Tripura
The arrest comes amid a broader wave of gold chain-snatching incidents reported across multiple districts of Tripura in recent months. In one separate case, two youths from Bihar were arrested for allegedly snatching a gold chain from an elderly woman in West Tripura district after entering her home on the pretext of cleaning utensils, according to police.
In another incident during the Rath Yatra festival at the historic Jagannath Bari in Udaipur, Gomati district, two women were arrested and nine gold chains worth approximately ₹22 lakh were recovered, officials said. The festival drew large crowds of devotees, providing cover for the alleged thefts.
What Happens Next
The accused currently remains in custody, with the case under the jurisdiction of the East Agartala police station. The wider trend of chain-snatching incidents is likely to draw renewed scrutiny on police patrolling and public-space surveillance infrastructure across Tripura, particularly in areas with heavy foot traffic during festivals and morning hours.
Point of View
Using CCTV evidence and persistent ground-level tracking. The broader Tripura chain-snatching spree — crossing district lines and targeting festival crowds — points to a network problem, not just isolated opportunism. Authorities may need to consider coordinated inter-district intelligence sharing rather than station-by-station responses.
NationPress
15 Sept 2026
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did the Tripura thief cut his own hand?
According to police, the accused allegedly cut his own right hand so he could get admitted to hospital and use that as cover to evade arrest. Despite the tactic, officers from the East Agartala police station tracked him down and arrested him from his hospital ward on 15 September 2026.
What was the accused charged with in Agartala?
The suspect is accused of being the alleged mastermind behind the snatching of a ₹1.75 lakh gold necklace from elderly resident Gita Rani Das (Deb) in the Bankumari area of Agartala on 11 September. He is also linked to the theft of the motorcycle used in the crime.
Who led the police investigation in this case?
The investigation was led by Krishnadhan Sarkar, Officer-in-Charge of the East Agartala police station, who is of inspector rank. His team reviewed CCTV footage and conducted multiple search operations before locating the suspect at the Agartala Government Medical College and Govind Ballabh Pant Hospital.
Is chain-snatching a larger problem in Tripura?
Yes, a series of gold chain-snatching incidents have been reported across several districts of Tripura in recent months. These include a case in West Tripura involving two suspects from Bihar and a separate incident during the Rath Yatra festival in Gomati district, where nine gold chains worth around ₹22 lakh were recovered.
What happened to the stolen gold necklace?
According to police, the main accused allegedly sold the snatched gold necklace at a jewellery shop in Agartala before seeking hospital cover. Investigators had earlier also impounded the motorcycle allegedly used in the crime.
