Train dacoity near Jhajha, cash, jewellery and valuables looted

MUNGER: In yet another train dacoity on Jamui-Jhajha-Jasidih section under Danapur division of East Central Railway (ECR) around Sunday midnight, more than a hundred passengers of three sleeper coaches of Dn 18182 Chhapra-Tata Nagar Express were robbed of their cash, jewellery, mobile sets, wrist watches and other valuables worth Rs 1 lakh by criminals at gunpoint.
The incident comes within 48 hours of a Special Auxiliary Police (SAP) jawan, Pankaj Kumar Singh of Sasaram, being gunned down and another jawan Ram Sarup Singh being injured in Dn Farakka Express by criminals between Jamalpur and Dasarathpur railway stations on Jamalpur-Kiul section of the ECR when the jawans of an escort party questioned their identity and asked them to show their train tickets in the wee hours of January 2.
Besides, on December 27, armed dacoits had looted cash, ornaments etc worth Rs 10 lakh from the passengers of Patna-Hatia Pataliputra Express near Lahaban halt in between Jhajha and Jasidih railway stations.
Superintendent Railway Police (SRP), Jamalpur, Umashankar Prasad confirmed the Sunday night incident and said the dacoits, numbering about 20 to 25, all in 22-25 year age group, overpowered the cabinman of Dadnagar halt, Mahendra Narayan Singh, between Gidhaur and Jhajha railway stations at gunpoint and forced him to give red signal, as a result of which the driver stopped the train.
The criminals then boarded the sleeper bogies and started looting the passengers. They silenced the passengers at gunpoint, asking them not to raise alarm.
Those who dared to protest were beaten up. They, first of all, snatched mobile sets from every passenger of the coach, said two passengers, Chandan Kumar and Deepak Kumar of Jamshedpur, to mediapersons at Jhajha railway station when the train reached there.
The SRP said the armed escort party comprising eight cops resorted to firing when the dacoits were looting the passengers, which forced them to flee midway their operation taking advantage of the darkness and foggy weather. He said 12 rounds were fired in the air by the escort party.
He claimed had the escort party not been there, passengers of the entire train having 10 sleeper bogies besides three AC coaches and general compartments would have been looted. The SRP, however, denied involvement of Maoists in the train dacoity. Raids were on to nab the criminals involved,