A Class X student and her mother whose scooter had broken down at Ballygunge Place while returning home on Sunday night were offered help by a youth, who later tugged at a bag the girl was holding and dragged her till she let go of it.

The youth ran to a friend who was waiting for him with a motorcycle a few yards away and the two sped off.

Police said the two youths were arrested with the help of CCTV footage, from where the cops learnt the registration number of the two-wheeler.

The accused are Sheikh Fardin Ali, 20, of Kustiya Road in Tiljala, and Sheikh Imran Ali, 22, of Tiljala Road. Officers said Imran had snatched the bag, while Fardin was waiting for him with the motorcycle.

The young girl’s struggle to hold on to the bag - which contained three mobile phones, including one that had details of her approaching board exams - brought back memories of homemaker Vidya Desai, who was shot at when she lunged at a bike and thwarted an attempt by three men to snatch her mangalsutra in Kasba in 2012.

Sunday’s incident happened near South Point High School around 11.30pm, when the girl was returning home with her mother from her tuition class.

“When the scooter broke down, I gave my handbag to my daughter and both of us were pushing the vehicle. A young man approached us and offered to help. I did not suspect anything at first and allowed him to push the vehicle. But after a few metres, when he started asking where we were headed, I felt uncomfortable and asked him to leave,” said the woman, a resident of Picnic Garden Road.

The woman said the youth left but she did not notice that he was trailing them from a distance.

“Suddenly I heard my daughter scream. When I turned back I saw the man trying to snatch my bag from her. She was struggling to hold on to the bag but the man first dragged her and then pushed her with a jerk. She fell. The man ran with my bag and hopped on a motorcycle, which then sped off,” the woman said.

The stretch where the incident happened is lined with apartments and shops, some of which were open. “But no one stepped forward to chase the bike,” the woman said.

The woman reported the matter to Gariahat police on Tuesday evening. Within hours, the police collected CCTV footage from the spot and could zero in on one of the accused, in whose name the motorcycle was registered.

Fardin, who owns the bike, and Imran have been booked under IPC sections related to theft and common intention.

An officer said they intended to carry out a test identification parade of the accused, which is possible if they are in judicial remand.

A senior officer of Gariahat police station emphasised the role of CCTV cameras and said the case could be detected within hours only because of the cameras installed in the area. “This is the reason we request people to install CCTV cameras. They should understand the crucial role a camera can play in tracking down a criminal,” the officer said.

Two injured

A man riding a motorbike and the pillion rider were injured after the two-wheeler went out of control and rammed into a lamp post along Basanti Highway, near Chowbaga, on Tuesday night, police said.

Manirul Zaman Mullick and the pillion rider, Rahaman Mullick, are from Bhangar.

They have been admitted to the Calcutta National Medical College and Hospital.