Mall robbery: Accused spotted in area for a week

Kolkata: The probe into the snatching outside a mall at Beckbagan Row on Monday, in which Rs 12 lakh was looted from a cash collection agent and his gunman, has revealed that the accused planned the incident for several days. Local sources tipped the accused were spotted in the area every afternoon for the past week.Till Wednesday evening, no arrest or detention were made in this regard but leads show the accused hid between Samsul Huda Road and Park Circus No. 4 Bridge immediately after the crime.Cops said said they have got information suggesting that the accused put on helmets minutes before the incident. "We have found witnesses who saw them without helmets on that bike. We are trying to sketch their faces," said an officer.The detective department has also collected the call dump from the area and is analysing it along with CCTV footage. "However, since most of our own CCTV cameras are placed towards Syed Amir Ali Avenue and the one towards Amir Ali Avenue is not functional, and some other captures are grainy, we are relying on private footage from multiple guest houses, salons, and gyms," said an officer.Four separate police teams are working on raids and the collection of information, said Lalbazar officers."We are investigating possible insider involvement, including mall employees or cash van personnel who might have tipped off the criminals about the collection schedule," a senior officer said. Most cash vans enter the mall premises and park on the driveway for the cash collector to return with the money and get into the vehicle. A few park in front of Gate 5 for the collector to jump in before the vehicle pulls out. But on Monday afternoon, the cash collector casually walked out with the amount to Samsul Huda Road and then to the traffic light at the intersection with Syed Amir Ali Avenue when the bike-borne robbers wearing helmets arrived and snatched the cash.