Armed snatchers rescue accomplice from residents in Ludhiana.

Ludhiana: In an escalating wave of street robberies, a gang used crude swords to rescue a captured accomplice during a gold snatching on Saturday.Harleen Kaur, 24, was outside a house in Flower Enclave with her mother-in-law and one-year-old daughter when two men on a scooter ripped a gold chain from her neck. Her mother-in-law, 47-year-old Harpreet Kaur, gave chase and, with the help of bystanders, tackled and restrained one of the thieves.The victory was short-lived. As the crowd closed in, three accomplices armed with blades arrived on the scene, threatening the public and forcing the release of their associate. The entire gang fled the area subsequently."My wife had managed to catch one of them with the help of locals, but their associates arrived with weapons to rescue him," Harleen's father-in-law, Rajinder Singh, confirmed. The family has provided police with CCTV footage of the confrontation.Basant Avenue police are recording witness statements, though they have made no arrests yet. This latest attack follows a similar robbery in Model Town Extension on Thursday, where three suspects remain on the run after stealing another woman's gold chain.