Robbery in running train; gang flees with jewellery

Women passengers were robbed of their jewellery by an eight-member gang in Chennai-Secunderabad Charminar Express

Hyderabad: In a daredevil robbery, a gang entered into a running train and snatched gold jewellery from passengers and scooted after stopping the train by pulling the alarm chain. The women passengers of Chennai-Secunderabad Charminar Express (Train No. 12759) were in deep slumber on Saturday midnight when they were robbed of their valuables in Prakasam district, police said on Sunday.

According to the South Central Railway (SCR), the incident of snatching gold chains from different Sleeper Coaches occurred on Saturday night at about 11:35 pm between Ammanabrolu and Uppugundur Railway Stations on Chirala-Ongole section of Vijayawada Division of South Central Railway. The miscreants pulled the alarm chain from inside the train, while other members of the gang snatched gold chains of passengers through the windows of the coaches from outside. According to SCR management, an eight-member gang barged into the train and looted the passengers travelling in sleeper coaches S-3, S4, S-5, S-6, S-7 and S-8. It said as there were no Railway Police personnel available in the train, the criminals threatened the hapless passengers and looted them for half-an-hour.

Six passengers of the train lodged complaints about loss of their valuables at Government Railway Police Station, Secunderabad. Cases were accordingly registered by the GRP and investigations are on to nab the culprits.Immediately on receipt of information about the incident, the Assistant Security Commissioner, Railway Protection Force (RPF), Vijayawada rushed to the spot along with Inspector, RPF, Chirala, and Ongole. Deputy Superintendent of Railway Police, Nellore, along with Inspector, Government Railway Police (GRP), Ongole and local police personnel, also reached the spot. Search operations were carried out by the police teams in the surrounding areas but no suspect was traced. All the local police stations alongside the railway route between Ongole and Chirala were alerted to apprehend the criminals.

About 70 grams of gold jewellery was estimated to have been robbed. Search operations were carried out by the police teams in the surrounding areas but no suspect was traced. In view of the incident, security measures have been tightened in Vijayawada- Gudur section, with the RPF and GRP launching concentrated efforts to prevent any such event. Additional number of police personnel is being deputed to escort more trains in the section. Police personnel are being stationed on wayside and at vulnerable stations as a part of the tightened security measures. The RPF has assured all cooperation to the GRP authorities and sought speedy action in the case to nab the robbers.