Train dacoity on Allahabad-Jabalpur route

ALLAHABAD: At least five passengers were injured and jewellery and cash worth several lakh rupees was looted in a major train dacoity held in the general compartment of Godan Express between Jabalpur and Maihar stations on the Mumbai-Allahabad route in the wee hours of Friday.
The train dacoity incident on Allahabad-Jabalpur route has once again raised serious questions on passengers' safety and security in moving trains.The irony is that the loot incident lasted for about half an hour but the security personnel manning the train did not reach the crime scene.
The criminals attacked the passengers travelling in the general coach of the train with knife and other sharp tools and forcefully took out the money from passengers. Even women were not spared and their jewellery were snatched. The harrased passengers narrated their woeful tale when the train reached Allahabad Junction.
The passengers who sustained injuries included Mohd Abrar, Mohd Isreal and Noor Jahan and Mohd Ishteyaque. The first three persons belong to Pure Shah village in Kunda tehsil of Pratapgarh district and Mohd Ishteyaque is a native of Sarai Mamrez of Allahabad. However, two of these passengers including Mohd Ishteyaque were detained at Satna station due to major injuries.
According to reports, about six to eight persons boarded Godan Express at Itarsi station. Initially, they did not do anything and just feasted among themselves.
However, as the train was passing from Katni to Maihar station, the miscreants started to extract money from passengers. When some of the passengers resisted, the miscreants attacked them with knife and sharp tools. They even sprinkled chilli powder in the eyes of the resisting passengers. The criminals were so ruthless that they did not spared women passengers. They forcefully snatched their jewellery and also took money from them. After looting the passengers, the criminals stopped the train through ACP (Alarm Chain Pulling) near Patwara and Jhukai station. However, seriously injured two passengers were detarted at the Satna station.
Narrating the woes, Mohd Abrar who sustained knife injury on his face says, "When I resisted and objected to the forceful extortion of money, the criminals punched me. One of them took a knife and made serious injury on the side of my face.''
He was also categorical that no security personnel arrived on the scene to help the hapless passengers. To rub salt on their wounds, some of the security personnel even took Rs 100 to Rs 150 from harried passengers when they boarded the train from Mumbai.
Naima Bano travelling in the general coach of the train says, "The criminals were ruthless. They took the jewellry from my neck and ears. They also took Rs 2000 from me.''
Narrating his woes, Panch Narayan, resident of Sultanpur who was also travelling in the general compartment of the train says, "As the train was passing from Katni station, they started looting the passengers. They took cash from each of the passenger. The criminals forcefully took out Rs 5000 from my pocket.''
With tears in his eyes, the harried person revealed that he was returning to his village in Sultanpur by the train. He was given Rs 5000 by his master as his house was torched to fire. With no money in his hand, he was cursing the stars for traveling in the train.
Talking to TOI, Ram Krishna Bhardwaj, SP (Railways) has informed that a case has been registered with GRP at Satna railway station. We are also giving inputs to the Madhya Pradesh police regarding the modus operandi of the criminals who are involved in criminal activities on the Allahabad-Jabalpur route.