Once again! Bike borne miscreants now snatches ₹1.05 lakh from ex-SMB Commissioner

Feb. 7: It’s lawlessness at its height at Silchar. Money snatching by bike borne miscreants has now become a regular affair in the town. And the bank, which is at the centre of all such snatching incidents is primarily State Bank of India’s (SBI) New Silchar Branch at Hailakandi Road. Former Municipal Ward Commissioner of Ward No. 21, Sanchita Acharjee became the latest victim of the bike gang.

At around 3.30 PM on Monday, Sanchita Acharjee, a resident of Subhas Nagar, Silchar went to SBI New Silchar branch. After withdrawing Rs.1.05 lakh from the bank, she kept the money inside her bag. Being aware of the recent incidents of money snatching, Mrs Acharjee wrote on the reverse side of the cheque “I wan’t guard”, which she went to encash at the bank.

Narrating her ordeal, the former Municipal Commissioner said, “The lady at the cash counter told me to contact the security staff present in the bank and then to withdraw the money. I then contacted one of the security guard and urged upon him to escort me to my home at Subhas Nagar as I will be withdrawing more than Rs.1 lakh. The guard informed me that they don’t have vehicle with them. I then rang my son and asked him to come to the bank with our own vehicle. But when I came downstairs, I found one of my trusted brothers inside the bank and requested him to drop me at home. When he agreed,  informed the guard that I will go with my brother and so I won’t require security. I even informed my son not to come with the vehicle.”

“Just as I sat on the bike of my brother, suddenly another pulsar bike came from the opposite direction (it was wrong side). Two persons wearing helmet came at a fast pace and before I could understand anything, they snatched the bag from my hand containing the money and fled away instantly. At once, we tried to follow the bike, but in vain as they vanished into the thin,” added Sanchita Acharjee.

This is the 3rd such instance of money snatching by bike-borne miscreants in Silchar. Sanchita Acharjee said, “So many such instances have taken place after withdrawing money from SBI New Silchar Branch. I suspect that informers of the gang sit inside the bank and passes information. I appeal to the DC and SP Cachar to provide security to the common people. They should sit with the bankers and find out a lasting solution to this problem. We are really feeling unsecured.”

The modus operandi being the same, panic has spread among the people of the town. People are now scared to withdraw money from the bank. In all such cases, bike borne miscreants wearing full mask helmets carry on such activities of snatching.

On 20 January, 2022, Rs. 1.5 lakh was snatched from a lady by two bike borne miscreants near Park Road, Silchar. On 2 February, Rs. 4 lakh was stolen in a similar manner from a person after he came out of SBI Badarpur Branch. Within 24 hours of the Badarpur incident, Silchar witnessed another such case when Rs. 5 lakh was snatched from a person near HDFC Bank at Park Road, Silchar on 3 February. Another such incident occured on last Friday at Hailakandi Road, Silchar. As per reports, a senior couple Shyamal Chakraborty and his wife Jyoti Chakraborty were robbed off Rs.1 Lakh after withdrawing it from SBI, New Silchar Branch.