Accused targeted more trains: GRP
A resident of Igatpuri, the accused, identified as 20-year old Akash Manohar, was nabbed from Kasara. With the arrest, GRP has so far picked up seven persons involved in the crime and recovered valuables worth Rs 70,000.
While only one mobile phone was reported as stolen from a passenger in the incident, police had recovered 10 mobile phones from the robbers. The phones – some of which belonged to passengers who had travelled on long-distance trains such as LTT-Faizabad Saket Express and KhushiNagar Express – have led the police to believe that the accused had struck multiple trains running along the stretch.
“We are in the process of getting in touch with the several victims who did not register a complaint have been looted,” said investigating officer Datta Pabale. The officers admitted that the GRP is struggling to trace these as they believe almost all complaints must have been registered at the terminating station of the train the person was travelling in. The cases are now being transferred to GRP Mumbai.
RPF constable suspended
In a related development, a Railway Protection Force (RPF) constable, who was on patrol duty on the night when the seven accused struck the LTT-Patliputra Express, was suspended for dereliction of duty.
According to the RPF, the constable, Mahable, had confined himself to the air-conditioned coaches of the train and did not patrol the entire train. Higher-ups also questioned his poor response time when the robbers pulled the train’s emergency chain to escape as the train was reaching Khardi.
“We ordered an inquiry to check what could have been done and what was done wrong. Based on the finding of the probe, further course of action against the constable will be decided,” said Sachin Bhalode, RPF’s Senior Divisional Security Commissioner on Central Railway.
While only one mobile phone was reported as stolen from a passenger in the incident, police had recovered 10 mobile phones from the robbers. The phones – some of which belonged to passengers who had travelled on long-distance trains such as LTT-Faizabad Saket Express and KhushiNagar Express – have led the police to believe that the accused had struck multiple trains running along the stretch.
“We are in the process of getting in touch with the several victims who did not register a complaint have been looted,” said investigating officer Datta Pabale. The officers admitted that the GRP is struggling to trace these as they believe almost all complaints must have been registered at the terminating station of the train the person was travelling in. The cases are now being transferred to GRP Mumbai.
The accused had earlier confessed to looting passengers of another train, LTT-Gorakhpur Kushinagar Express, one week before the particular crime. The matter went unnoticed as the passengers, who were not beaten up, registered the case in Gorakhpur. The case is now being transferred to Kalyan.
RPF constable suspended
In a related development, a Railway Protection Force (RPF) constable, who was on patrol duty on the night when the seven accused struck the LTT-Patliputra Express, was suspended for dereliction of duty.
According to the RPF, the constable, Mahable, had confined himself to the air-conditioned coaches of the train and did not patrol the entire train. Higher-ups also questioned his poor response time when the robbers pulled the train’s emergency chain to escape as the train was reaching Khardi.
“We ordered an inquiry to check what could have been done and what was done wrong. Based on the finding of the probe, further course of action against the constable will be decided,” said Sachin Bhalode, RPF’s Senior Divisional Security Commissioner on Central Railway.
