Pickpockets prowl PGI corridors

CHANDIGARH, July 21: Going to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research for check up? Beware of unscrupulous elements...

CHANDIGARH, July 21: Going to the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Education and Research for check up? Beware of unscrupulous elements, drug addicts haunting the institute’s corridors on the lookout for bulging wallets.

The cases of pickpocketing in PGI continue to harass patients, relatives and visitors with almost three to four cases coming to light almost every week. However, most of the cases are not reported and no complaint is registered with the police.

According to a PGI employee, almost every other day one case of pickpocketing comes to light with some visitor, relative of a patient turning up asking about his wallet. "Most of the time the people are reluctant to register complaints since they believe the small amount of money they have lost will not come back. But yes, they come to us with request to keep their identity cards, licence, registration copies of vehicles if found."

PGI employees say that many times empty wallets, purses or identity cards etc are found in the institutes’ bathrooms which are kept and returned to the owners "if they get back to us". Visitors are not the only ones who fall prey to these pickpockets. A couple of days back, an employee of CID Department of Chandigarh Police and former employee of the institute, Ashok, lost his wallet when he visited PGI. However, policemen at the PGI post say that not many instances of pickpocketing are registered with the police.