The New Nation - Internet Edition

Chittagong Correspondent

Three snatchers were lynched and five of their accomplices suffered public assault after an aborted snatching bid at North Kattuli near Alangkar crossing yesterday afternoon.

Police and eye accounts said that the incident lynching took place at about 1:30 p.m. when an eight-member group of armed snatchers came under public chase and subsequent physical assault.

The snatchers had been escaping the scene after looting Taka 290 thousand in cash from a trader - Mohammad Salah Uddin - who came out of Pahartali Branch of Islami Bank at that time.

The robbed trader chased the snatchers on board three auto-rickshaws and finally caught them after running nearly three kilometers. The villagers and passers-by in their joint efforts recovered some of the looted money and some firearms from the culprits.Officer-in-Charge of Pahartali Police Station Masudul Alam claimed that Taka 106 thousand and three light guns including two rounds of ammunition had been recovered from the possession of the detainees.

The snatchers at this stage underwent merciless beating of the frenzied locals and three of the eight died on the spot. Police, later, rescued five snatchers in a critical condition and took them to Chittagong Medical College Hospital.

Three of the five wounded snatchers were able to talk to the security people after necessary treatment at the hospital, Sub-Inspector Ohidul Islam told the reporters. Two snatchers had been out of sense till the time of dispatching this report.

Identity of the dead snatchers could not be known immediately while the others were Din Mohammad (30) son of Abdul Hamid of Kulgaon under Baizid Police station, Mintu (27), son of Amzad Hossain of village Balugara in Nagoan, Mohammad Uzzal Sheikh (28), son of Liaquat Ali of village Narail, Suman Nath (23), son of Debendra Nath of village South Rangamatia in Fatikchhari and Mohammad Sharif (26) son of Safiul Alam of village Charfakira in Hatia island.

Bodies of the lynched snatchers have been sent to Chittagong Medical College Hospital morgue for autopsy.

Pahartali police recorded three cases in connection with the incidents. Three of the detainees had been undergoing police interrogation.