Jamshedpur: A day after 45-year-old state government employee lost over Rs 40,000 to gun-wielding criminals on a bike in broad daylight at 4pm on Saturday, police obtained footage of the crime from a CCTV camera installed near the DC office under Bistupur police station where the snatching took place.

Though the police have identified the bike - a black Bajaj Pulsar - used by the criminal duo from the CCTV footage, they however are realistically not closer to identifying the snatchers.

The bike's registration number is visible, but the police would have to get it verified from the district transport office on Monday.

City SP Prabhat Kumar on Sunday said they had identified the bike but admitted on being prodded by this paper that the registration number would need to be verified.

Asked how the police were sure criminals would use an authentic numberplate on a bike for snatching in a crowded location, the city SP had no reply to make.

Asked, victim Sudama Sharma, head clerk in East Singhbhum DC office who parted with his hard-earned salary of Rs 40,600 when he was threatened with a pistol jabbed against his ribs, stressed that the place - 300 metres from the DC office on Subernarekha Link Road - and the timing - 4pm - of the crime left him shell-shocked.

Sharma was not alone in shock.

Sonari resident S.K. Singh pointed out that traffic police were carrying out an intensive helmet-checking drive near Baug-e-Jamsheed square, barely 100 metres away from the snatching spot till 3pm on Saturday.

"If the police had given equal importance to policing like they are giving to helmet-checking then perhaps the daylight snatching at such a prominent place would not have taken place," Singh said.

Incidentally, camera footage showed that among the snatcher duo, the one riding the bike had his helmet on.