CCTV cams fail to grab hole on roof

CHENNAI: The CCTV cameras at railway stations between Tambaram and Egmore have not been able to capture a four-foot hole on the roof of a mail van during a trial run as part of the probe into the 5.7 crore heist on the Salem-Chennai Express.
CB-CID police bored the hole and operated the mail van from Tambaram to Egmore on Saturday to find out if the heist took place during the last leg of the journey.The trial confirmed CCTV cameras did not have the capacity to capture the hole the robbers had cut on the roof of the mail van of Salem-Chennai Express.
The hole cut by the culprits was not seen in the CCTV footage obtained from Tambaram, said a source in the department. This, police believe, could be an indication the heist took place at the Chetpet yard where the train was for sometime. Police are now analysing if it is possible to cut open the roof on a fast moving train.
A day after the robbery, the case was transferred to CB-CID. Officers recreated the event and cut open a hole using a battery-operated saw and conducted a trial run but remain clueless about the culprits.
"Poor lighting, vibration and other issues resulted in poor CCTV image quality. The camera was not able to capture the hole. Moreover, the hole was on the roof and the camera was not positioned properly to capture the top part," said a member of the investigation team.
"Since the train was in motion, the image is not clear. Moreover in all stations, CCTV cameras are placed only on the platform and failed to capture or focus on the ceiling," he said.
The officers feel a high-resolution camera would have captured a better image. "It is too early to conclude before receiving the final report," said a senior officer.
Sources said those reponsible for the heist probably knew all about a railway coach roof. "They cut the hole at the spot where there was no wiring. There are only three such spots on the roof."
The 10-member CB-CID team is likely to question a few top officials aware of the transportation of the soiled notes on the train.