Police recover bags stolen from cars, plan to step up vigil near Prinsep Ghat
Times of India | 6 February 2026
Kolkata: A series of thefts from vehicles parked near Prinsep Ghat and Judges Ghat has led investigators to a stretch of dense bushes between the Circular Railway tracks on the riverfront and the adjacent road, where the gangs are suspected to hide and "choose their targets".
The windows of many of the cars were shattered to steal bags and valuables kept on the seat, said police.
Police now plan round-the-clock vigilance in the area, with help from the GRP. Deputy commissioner of police (port) Harikrishna Pai ordered increased surveillance on roads near Prinsep Ghat and Judges Ghat. He directed the local force to form a special bike patrol team to cover the area every day from afternoon, and look out for people hiding in bushes and the road along the river. Plainclothes personnel would also patrol the riverfront, police said. Officers said legal action would be taken if drug users were caught.
Following several complaints over the past two weeks, cops from the South Port Police Station launched a probe and recovered four expensive, branded bags, believed to be stolen from vehicles, in the bushes. The bags, emptied of cash and cards, were found with the chains open and papers scattered around the spot, said police, adding drugs and paraphernalia were also spotted in the bushes. Police suspect drug users were behind the thefts. During the search near the ghats, police also found iron rods and rocks, which they believe were used to break the car window panes.
Complainants were called to the police station to identify the recovered items. Three persons identified the branded bags.
The area between Prinsep Ghat station and Babughat is separated from the road by iron railings, but between the station and Judges Ghat, the space between the tracks and the railings is covered in undergrowth, with dense vegetation in some patches. Police said they found multiple sections of the railings damaged or broken, and believed the offenders entered and exited through these gaps to access the bushes and the riverfront road.