3 held for drugging, robbing passengers in train

Three people were arrested by the Kalyan railway police at Igatpuri on Saturday for allegedly offering cream biscuits laced with powdered sleeping pills to passengers bound for Uttar Pradesh.

“Fulchand Yadav (35), Mubarak Ansari (32) and Rajesh alias Guddu Pal (34) were booked under Sections 328 and 379 of the Indian Penal Code on Saturday,” said senior inspector AR Jagtap. He added that with the arrest of the three, the police have solved five cases. Rs5,000 in cash, two mobile phones and a gold ring were recovered from the accused.

Yadav, a resident of Bhayander, was the gang leader. He had earlier been arrested for theft. The trio had been operating on the Varanasi Express, which leaves Dadar every night, for the past one year, said Jagtpap.

Assistant Inspector AK Chavan said, “The trio would buy tickets at Dadar station for Nashik or Bhusaval on the Varanasi Express.  After boarding the train, they would talk to their co-passengers in Bhojpuri. After the train passed Kalyan, the victims would be offered cream biscuits, which would render them unconscious. The conmen would snatch their valuables and alight at Igatpuri, Nashik or Bhusaval station.