PRAYAGRAJ, Aug. 8 -- In a shocking incident, three armed masked men on a motorcycle attempted to rob a female schoolteacher and her colleague on the Ayodhya-Prayagraj Highway in Pratapgarh on Thursday afternoon. When their attempt to snatch the woman's gold chain and purse failed, the assailants opened fire. The bullet hit the motorcycle, but both teachers escaped unharmed. The attackers fled toward Bhupiyamau, police said. Police and forensic teams reached the spot promptly but were unable to trace the assailants. According to police, Pradeep Mishra, a resident of Bhangwa Chungi in Adarsh Nagar and a teacher at Sangam International School in Katra Medniganj, was returning home around 2.15 pm with fellow teacher Renu Singh, a resident of Jogapur. When they reached Gopalapur in the Kotwali Nagar area, three masked men on a motorcycle approached from behind and attempted to intercept them. Renu Singh informed police that the attackers attempted to snatch her chain and purse but failed. As Pradeep sped up to evade them, one of the assailants fired at them using a country-made weapon. The bullet struck the motorcycle, but they managed to flee without stopping. The suspects then escaped toward Bhupiyamau. Local police outpost in-charge Ankit Srivastava and Kotwali Nagar SHO Neeraj Yadav reached the scene soon after receiving the alert. After recording the victims' statements, they began examining CCTV footage from nearby cameras in an effort to identify the attackers. "The assailants' motorcycle had no number plate. Forensic experts have collected evidence from the scene," said SHO Neeraj Yadav. "Based on Renu Singh's complaint, an FIR has been registered. Efforts to identify and apprehend the culprits are ongoing," he added. Robbery in Raniganj just 45 minutes later In a possible connection to the earlier incident, another robbery occurred just 45 minutes later in the Raniganj area, raising suspicions that the same gang may be responsible. At around 3 pm, three masked men on a motorcycle allegedly snatched a gold chain at gunpoint from a woman in Bijemau village. According to police, Priyanka Tripathi, daughter of Indramani and a resident of Bijemau, was returning home from the trauma center near the tehsil headquarters in an e-rickshaw. As the rickshaw neared the village turn next to a petrol pump, the masked men intercepted the vehicle. One of the assailants pointed a country-made pistol at Priyanka and snatched her gold chain before speeding away. Jaamatali police outpost in-charge Harimohan Rajput and SHO Prabhat Singh arrived at the scene shortly afterward. While CCTV footage from the area was reviewed, the attackers could not be clearly identified due to the distance from the camera. Police suspect that the same group involved in the earlier attempt in Jogapur carried out the successful robbery in Bijemau. Investigations are ongoing, and footage from surrounding areas is being analysed, said the SHO....