Security on Kanke Road, a VIP area in the heart of the capital, was breached on Friday, the second time in a fortnight.

Two bikers snatched from a policeman his service weapon when asked to furnish vehicle papers. The crime happened around 6am near the residence of Jharkhand High Court chief justice Aniruddha Bose, raising serious concerns in the run-up to the Prime Minister’s visit to Ranchi.

On September 7, a 36-year-old police informer had been shot dead on Kanke Road a stone’s throw from the chief minister Raghubar Das’s official residence.

According to eyewitnesses, a PCR van on routine patrol and manned by five policemen intercepted the bikers and asked for licence and registration papers. The men in uniform were caught unawares when the duo suddenly snatched the Insas rifle constable Vijay Kumar Mahto was carrying and sped towards Morabadi.

Although the weapon was soon recovered — the bikers when chased dropped it at the intersection of Morabadi road and Sido Kanhu Park, 200 metres away — the incident has come as a major embarrassment for Ranchi police at a time Narendra Modi is scheduled to visit the city.

SSP Anish Gupta said they were collecting CCTV camera footage from the area. “The accused will be identified and apprehended,” he promised.

Sources in police said the PCR van was manned by an ASI-rank officer, Raj Kishore Singh, and had two havildars and as many constables.

“We received a wireless message about weapon snatching. By the time we reached the spot, the bikers were gone,” said a policeman at Gonda thana that exercises jurisdiction over Kanke Road.

A woman who runs a tea stall nearby said she opened shop around 5am and saw the PCR van on patrol. “Suddenly, there was commotion. The police van and passers-by began chasing a bike. Later, I was told that a cop’s weapon was snatched,” she said.

That security on Kanke Road is far from satisfactory had become evident after the shooting of informer Budhu Das earlier this month. And, that the lacunas still remain became obvious after this morning snatching.

Besides the CM and chief justice, Kanke Road is also the address for Jharkhand Assembly Speaker Dinesh Oraon and JMM working president Hemant Soren, a former CM. Chief justice Bose’s residence is barely 200 metres from Gonda thana.