The local crime branch of Vadodara railway police and RPF have nabbed four members of an inter-state gang from Haryana who robbed passengers in express train late at night after placing a rupee coin on the railway track. The Railway Crime Branch has seized Rs 13.87 lakh from the gang, including Rs 11,000 in cash along with gold and silver jewelery. Police get five days remand of the gang and are conducting further investigation.
Railway Police Chief Parikshita Rathore while briefing reporters said that On 19-6-021, Avantika Express, Mysore Express and Vapi as well as Bhuj-Bandra and Veraval Pune Express were passing in the area of Varadia railway station from 1 pm to 3 pm. When the signal failed, the angle coke was turned off, the trains were stopped and the passengers' luggage was stolen. Following these incidents, an investigation was launched by Railway LCB P.I. Utsav Barot and his team's P.S.I. F.A. Pargi, P.S.I. N.M. Talati as well as a team of staff and RPF to nab the gang stealing from the trains.
Meanwhile, the police team set up a watch in Tohna village in Fatehabad district of Haryana about the gang stealing passengers' luggage by stopping the trains and arrested main conspirator Rahul Dhara, Deepak Mahendrasinh, Sukhbir Dalawara and Sunny alias Soni Puran Fulla. Police seized a total of Rs 13,87,530 from the gang, including Rs 11,920 in cash, 220.650 grams of gold, 500 grams of silver, a wrist watch, mobile phone and a car used in crime.
The railway police chief further said that the gang was stealing from long-distance trains in Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Rajasthan. The gang reach near highways where there are no guards or employees at railway crossings. They then stopped the trains by putting iron rod or one rupee coin to turn the red signal. The gang looted and fled until the signal went green.
Railway Police Chief Parikshita Rathore said that main conspirator Rahul Dhara's father, was working in the railways, so he knew about the ways to stop the train on track. Using that information he made a group of friends from his own village and began stealing from long-distance trains. However, no matter how smart the accused may be, the Vadodara Railway Crime Branch has finally busted the gang.
There is a circuit on the first track of the railway station, which is called a track circuit and this is for signaling. The main function of this is to check that there is no obstruction on the railway track and the track is safe. If the track is safe the signal turns green and if there is a fault it turns red. If the signal turns red, the driver stops the train immediately. The gang used a rupee coin to stop the train. It takes 15 to 20 minutes to start the train journey again after the train stops.
The gang was nabbed from Tohna village in Haryana through a fastag, the railway police chief said. Railway police tracked down the mobile number of the person on whom the fastag was registered. The man's name was Deepak from Haryana and was driving. In addition, other accomplices Sunny alias Soni Fulla, Rahul Dhara and Sukhbir alias Chhotu Dalawara boarded the trains and looted the passengers. As the train starts they left the place.
Railway Police Chief Parikshit Rathore said that in June, the accused robbed inside 7 and more trains. In which Bikaner-Dadar Ranpur Express on June 18 near Abu, on June 19 Avantika express, Ajmer-Mysore express near Bharuch (Gujarat), Bandra-Bhuj express near Vapi (Gujarat) on June 20, Porbandar-Howrah express on June 25 near Nandurbar (Maharashtra), on June 26 near Maxi in Madhya Pradesh Jaipur-Hyderabad Express and on June 27, a robbery took place near Quota on the Jaipur-Secunderabad Express. The gang has been charged with theft and robbery of trains as well as 13 other offences. The gang was produced in court and remanded for five days for further questioning. Many more crimes will comes out during investigation.