They have confessed to their involvement in other similar cases, and said they are drug addicts who needed to snatch the cell phones to fund their habit
Six commuters on the Central Railway lost their cell phones to members of the fatka gang in 35 minutes -- between 7.40 pm and 8.15 pm -- on April 8. The local crime branch of the Government Railway Police (GRP), recovered all the phones after 13 days, and two young men were arrested.
They have confessed to their involvement in other similar cases, and said they are drug addicts who needed to snatch the cell phones to fund their habit. Hats off to the authorities who have managed to catch two members of this deadly gang. Do not be misled into thinking that snatching cellphones is a petty crime. The modus operandi of this gang is deadly. They hit commuters standing on the footboard of crowded trains with a stick.
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This leads commuters to dropping their phones, which land in the hands of the thieves. This method could be fatal, as people can fall from the train and lose limb or life.
mid-day had reported about a young woman who fell from the train after being attacked by a member of the fatka gang. She nearly lost her foot and suffered severe trauma. This is just one instance of the kind of huge damage the fatka gang is capable of.
It is time to spell the end of this gang with these arrests. Severe punishments must be meted out to those caught and if there are other gang members, these two must
confess so that they can be put behind bars too.
This gang is, plain and simple, a terror on the tracks. Do not put it down to flippant or small-time theft. Their methods could result in death and that is why it is vital to finish this gang and ensure there are no copycat attacks.
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