Bhubaneswar, April 5: Two persons working with a gas distribution agency suffered injuries this morning when two motorcycle-borne goons attacked them near Raj Mahal overbridge at Bapuji Nagar.

The goons had tried to loot the victims, but failed to snatch the cash worth around Rs 1.20 lakh that the victims had kept in the luggage compartment of their two-wheeler. However, the goons managed to rob them off the gold chain of one of the victims and escaped.

The goons forcibly stopped the victims, Asit Kumar Patra, 30, and one of his colleagues near the overbridge.

“The attackers, who were on a motorcycle, intercepted the two for sometime. Then they suddenly overtook the victims’ bike and pushed them. The bike skidded off on the road. When the two fell on the ground, the criminals tried to open the luggage compartment to take away the cash. But after seeing people running towards the spot, the goons escaped after snatching a gold chain from one of the victims,” said an eyewitness, Rupak.

Both the injured work with a gas distribution agency at Jharpada and were on their way to a bank at Bapuji Nagar to deposit the money. The other victim is yet to be identified. However, an official of Capital police station, barely 1km from the spot, said that though they were yet to receive a formal complaint.

“We are looking into the matter,” said an officer of Capital police station.

The two victims were later taken to Capital Hospital. Though Patra has minor injuries, his colleague was later shifted to a private hospital.

On March 9, two motorcycle-borne goons had snatched a 12-gram gold chain from a woman near Master Canteen Square, exposing the lack of policing that has emboldened the criminals.

The snatchers had targeted a retired engineer of the irrigation department and his wife while the couple was going from Master Canteen Square to Sishu Bhavan on a scooty.

On February 22, two goons had snatched a 20-gram gold chain from a businessman on the Raj Mahal flyover around 10am.

The increasing frequency of snatching incidents has worried both residents and the police. Such criminals usually operate on motorcycles and escape with impunity. As police forces have been diverted for election work, the goons have been taking advantage of the situation.

“We are keeping a look on such criminals. We have arrested many of them, who usually indulge in such crimes in the past few days and will nab more such goons,” said the officer.