The robberies in AC coaches had rattled both Railway Protection Force (and GRP personnel who were tracking the mysterious robberies in a hard and hi-tech way. And, finally tasted success and traced the robbers when they made a phone call from one of the cell phones they had stolen from the passengers. The grave mistake on the part of the burglars. The RPF and GRP arrested the AC coach attendants and accused have been identified Sagar Jamnik (22) from Murtizapur and Kokil Bemal from Wardha.
Nagpur News.
The crime never pays, and when it comes to cell phone in the present hi-tech era, the numbered wonder invites police to the doors of the elements who perpetrate the crime. And this equation proved bang on the point.
The Igatpuri Government Railway Police (GRP), in a major breakthrough, exposed the racket behind spurt of train robberies and subsequently arrested two AC coach attendants, part of the racket themselves. The arrested attendants are reportedly notorious burglars and also have a past criminal record.
The prestigious Nagpur-Mumbai-Nagpur Duronto Express witnessed passengers being robbed of their valuables and hard cash in the supposedly safe AC coaches in the past few months. And the robberies in AC coaches had rattled both Railway Protection Force (RPF) and GRP personnel who were tracking the mysterious robberies in a hard and hi-tech way. And, finally tasted success and traced the robbers when they made a phone call from one of the cell phones they had stolen from the passengers. The grave mistake on the part of the burglars. The RPF and GRP arrested the AC coach attendants and accused have been identified Sagar Jamnik (22) from Murtizapur and Kokil Bemal from Wardha.
The arrest of the accused attendants Jamnik and Bemal was the direct result of a robbery in which the victim Reshma Malvi from Raigarh was travelling in the B-2 coach of Nagpur-Mumbai Duronto on September 20. During the journey two mobile phones belonging to her estimated to be worth Rs 5,000 and Rs 5,500 respectively were stolen along with some cash. After she reported the matter to GRP, the police swung into action and started tracing the phones. Few days after the robbery, a call was made from one of the phones from Murtizapur. It was this call that led the police to the thieves.
Even the GRP Nagpur has registered several cases of theft on the Duronto Express. Sources informed that the Nagpur GRP is making efforts to take custody of the two accused for questioning. It is being suspected that the two accused are a part of a gang which was operational on the Duronto Express.
It may also be noted here that the coach attendants are appointed by private contractors after the job was outsourced by the railways. This has raised a question mark in the process of appointing employees on the trains.
NAGPUR TODAY FLASHED REPORTS OF ROBBERIES:
42 lakhs gold valuables stolen from Duronto Express: Gold ornaments worth Rs 42 lakhs were stolen from Thane-based jeweller Sanjeet Dalai while he was travelling in Mumbai-Howrah Duronto Express. However, Dalai reported the matter to GRP Nagpur.
In February, 1.25 kilo gold ornaments were stolen from Howrah-Mumbai Mail.
Police said that Dalai was taking the gold ornaments to West Bengal for polishing and modernizing them. Dalai said that Mumbai jewellers preferred the designs of West Bengal jewellery and since he being a native of West Bengal, the jewellers had a deal with him. He told that the jewellers would give him their gold jewellery to turn into new designs and renewing it.
Two jewellers of Mumbai had given him gold ornaments worth Rs 42 lakhs. Dalai had boarded Mumbai-Howrah Duronto Express on March 13. Early morning on March 14, Dalai found the jewellery bag had gone missing while the train was passing through Wardha-Nagpur route. He immediately alerted railway police but didn’t file a police complaint. Instead, Dalai said that he has an important meeting at Kolkata and will file the police complaint after he returned. Dalai returned on Sundayevening and filed a police complaint.
Theft in Duronto Express: Valuables worth Rs 2.10 lakh stolen: A media officer who was traveling on Duronto Express from Mumbai to Nagpur was relieved of cash and gold ornaments worth Rs 2.10 lakh on November 8, 2013.
According to information, media officer Ziko Ray and his wife Sheetal Ray boarded Duronto Express from Mumbai on November 8, 2013. The Ray family was coming to Nagpur. The GRP at Nagpur Station said that the theft took place in the early hours of Saturday between 4 am and 6 am. Thieves made away with the bag containing Rs 7,000 cash and gold ornaments collectively worth Rs 2.10 lakh from his wife while they were asleep.
In an exclusive talk with Nagpur Today, Ray had said that he discovered something very surprising about the entire theft. He had kept the bag which contained the wallets of both husband and wife and had collectively Rs 7000 including coins. There was a small jewellery box in the bag. Three other bags were kept under the seat, while the small bag with cash and jewellery was kept near Ray. According to Ray, the couple did not sleep till 3:30 am. When Ray got up somewhere at 5:45 am, he found the bag missing. He immediately raised an alarm and called the coach attendant to check everywhere for the bag. The couple too checked everywhere. Finally on checking the toilets, they found the bag with the contents strewn in the toilet. They found both the wallets without the cash. He added that somehow the thief did not take the debit and credit cards from the wallet. The jewellery box too had the same treatment. The original jewellery was taken and fake jewellery was left behind. According to Ray and his wife, somebody must have been watching them keeping the bag close to them assuming valuables were in it only. He or she finding a right opportunity must have committed the theft since the coach attendant claimed that no outsider was seen entering the coach. By the time, Ray began the search; the train was entering Nagpur Station. Ray also alleged that surprisingly there were no GRP personnel on the train. Even the TT could not locate one. Ray added that Duronto Express is a premier train service with no stoppage except for 3 technical stoppages. The cost of ticket too has been recently hiked. The question that was nagging him was when the railways are charging a hefty amount; they should be providing adequate services too. This also requires Railways to provide adequate security to the passengers and their goods. He said that if ACII Tier passenger can be robbed, what will be fate of ACIII Tier or Sleeper Class passengers.
He also added that how the unauthorized vendors enter the coach selling Biryani and other stuff in ACII tier coach. Who opens the entry/exit doors to these vendors? The coach attendant too is not a railway employee. The Coach attendants are out-sourced employees, who carry no onus of any happening in the coach.
After reaching Nagpur Station, Ziko Ray lodged a complaint with GRP. Investigating officer Bhawal said that the theft could have taken place before the train reached Wardha station.
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