STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: Two alleged bag-snatchers, accused of dragging a woman along a road during a robbery attempt in Kahilipara earlier this month, sustained gunshot injuries during a police operation in Khanapara in the early hours of Thursday. Two police personnel were also injured in the incident. The accused, identified as Prashanta Boro alias Mello, 20, of Kamalpur, and Rahul Das alias Jubin, 25, of Kaibartta Gaon, were taken to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) for treatment. Police said their condition was stable and they were out of danger.
DCP (East) Tabu Ram Pegu said Kahilipara police arrested the two men on October 13 in connection with Kahilipara Police Station Case No. 25/2026. They were subsequently remanded to two days of police custody for further investigation.
"During custodial interrogation, both the accused provided us with sufficient information regarding their modus operandi, how criminal activities are carried out in Guwahati city, and also expressed their willingness to help our investigation team apprehend other gang members," Pegu said.
He said an investigation team took the accused to a location in Khanapara at around 2 am on Thursday. According to the DCP, the handcuffed men suddenly assaulted the constables accompanying them and attempted to escape.
"To deter and prevent them, our police party fired at their lower bodies/legs. As a result, both accused sustained gunshot wounds in their legs," Pegu said, adding that the police immediately apprehended them again and shifted them to GMCH.
GMCH Superintendent Dr Devajit Choudhury said the hospital received the two youths at around 2.52 am following an incident involving police personnel at two locations. He said medical examinations confirmed that both had sustained gunshot wounds and that doctors admitted them under the orthopaedic and surgery departments.
"X-rays were performed, and based on the results, medical treatment has been initiated for both of them. Currently, both have been admitted under the orthopedic and surgery departments," Choudhury said.
He also confirmed that two police personnel, identified as Biki Bargohain and Kalpajyoti Nath, sustained injuries and were receiving treatment at the hospital. Choudhury said the medical team had carried out the necessary examinations and continued to monitor the injured.
The police action followed a bag-snatching attempt in Janakpur, Kahilipara, on October 5. According to the complaint, the two accused allegedly followed a woman on a motorcycle at around 5.45 am and tried to forcibly take her bag. As they attempted to flee, they allegedly dragged her along the paved road for nearly 100 metres, leaving her seriously injured.
A nearby CCTV camera captured the incident, and the footage later circulated widely on social media, raising concerns about public safety. During the preliminary investigation, police also found indications that the accused might have been involved in a similar incident in the Lalmati area on the same day. Pegu said the accused had provided information about their alleged criminal activities and that police had recovered evidence. He added that investigators were verifying their possible involvement in several other cases.
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