Robbers run amok, loot train passengers

NEW DELHI/KANPUR: In yet another incident that exposes the shoddy security arrangements at important points in the capital, 14 armed men boarded the general coach of the Orissa Sampark Kranti Express from New Delhi Railway Station on Tuesday. Around 8am when the train crossed Ghaziabad, the robbers shut the two entrances to the coach and overpowered the only railway police force (RPF) officer in the coach.
The robbers then forced the 159 passengers inside the coach to hand over their cash and valuables. Those who resisted were beaten and attacked with knives and pistol butts. Six passengers were injured during the robbery.
“The men demanded cash and jewellery. Midnapore resident Pramod Das was gashed on his hands and his watch and rings were pulled off. After this we were terrified and nobody protested. The robbers ransacked and looted our luggage,’’ said Mamoni Khatun, one of the victims. “The men then packed the loot into two bags and got down at Kalwa railway station,’’ said Khatun. The North Central Railway authorities said the robbers pulled the chain at Kalwa railway station in western UP.
“Cash, cellphones and jewellery were looted at gunpoint. Even women were beaten up and their ornaments snatched. The travel ticket examiner was also robbed,” said Prabuddh Das, one of the injured. Four of the injured are residents of West Bengal.
When the train reached Kanpur Central Railway Station, the passengers got down and raised a hue and cry. Passengers said a complaint was lodged at Kanpur Central station four hours later.
Officials from the government railway police (GRP), UP, said they had acquired the CCTV footage of passengers boarding the train at New Delhi Railway station. “We have taken down the addresses of passengers who can recognize the attackers. We will get in touch with GRPs of these states. We have alerted police in western UP about the incident,’’ said the chief spokesperson, North Central Railway. Railway minister Mukul Roy could not be contacted . His office said that he was aware of the incident.
While it is befuddling how 14 men managed to get across the security check at New Delhi Railway Station with firearms, the robbery also highlights the poor deployment of RPF officers on trains. Recently, the Orissa Sampark Kranti Express had been provided with extra security personnel as it passes through Maoist-affected areas. However, railway officials defended this by pointing out that the deployment takes place only after the train reaches Kharagpur.