Patna, Nov. 24: Two motorbike-borne criminals looted a gold chain from a college student in the state capital this morning, raising questions over the measures adopted by police to curb chain-snatching incidents.

Vanijya Mahavidyalaya student Richa and her two friends were walking down a lane towards Ashok Rajpath, around 11.30am, when a man approached them. He demanded that Richa hand over her gold chain. Before they could react, he took out a pistol and pointed it towards the girls. As soon as Richa surrendered the chain, the man ran towards his accomplice, who was waiting on a motorbike at a little distance, and fled.

Richa, a final-year BCom student, lodged an FIR with the Pirbhore police station.

An officer at the police station told The Telegraph: “The statement made by the girl is not very clear. She is a resident of Patna City and a police team later visited her home. She said she did not see the face of the criminal, as she had closed her eyes in fear.”

He added: “It is unlikely that we will be able to make a sketch but we are trying. The stretch on which the incident occurred is usually bustling during the daytime.”

Source said the recent spu-rt in cases of chain snatching has alarmed the city residents and forced the cops to sit up.

On November 20, two incidents of chain snatching had occurred in different parts of the state capital. At Rajiv Nagar, residents and commuters had nabbed one of the culprits. He was beaten up black and blue before being handed over to the police. Sources said the cops had arrived an hour after being informed about the incident. The stolen gold chain was recovered from the criminal.

At Bank Men’s Colony, two motorbike-borne criminals snatched the chain of a woman and fled. The police are yet to catch anyone in the case.