A dozen passengers drugged, robbed aboard August Kranti train
Incident takes place in several coaches of the Rajdhani Express, between 2 and 4 am, while the train was between Ratlam and Kota
Just a day after the Delhi Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) and other senior Railway Protection Force (RPF) officers claimed to have successfully reduced crime in trains and on stations, a dozen passengers were allegedly drugged and robbed in a Mumbai-Delhi Rajdhani Express train, in the early hours of Wednesday.
In a press conference on Monday, the Delhi DRM and senior RPF officers had claimed that crime in railways had been reduced, especially in Rajdhani and Shatabdi trains.
The incident took place in several coaches of the August Kranti Rajdhani Express, running from Mumbai Central to Hazrat Nizamuddin, between 2 and 4 am, while the train was between Ratlam and Kota. As many as 12 passengers approached the Government Railway Police (GRP) at the Nizamuddin railway station to register their complaint.
In the complaint, victims alleged that they were asleep when the gang targeted them. They also said that the TTEs, railway staffers, and catering staffers must also be questioned.
"The gang mostly targeted bags of women passengers for jewellery and cash. Most victims still had their cell phones. They suspect having been drugged as they do not remember exactly what happened. Since the incident took place near Ratlam, zero FIRs have been registered and the matter has been conveyed to police concerned. We are also probing from our end," a senior GRP officer at the Nizamuddin police station said.
The complainants further said that there was no patrolling or active RPF officers in the train. They also urged the police to check the food and water supply in the train.
Recent crimes
August, 2017: Two youths were thrown off a moving train after argument over seats in Palwal. One them later died.July, 2017: A man was chased and killed by a mob at the Adarsh Nagar railway station for allegedly stealing Rs 1,500.June, 2017: Teenager Junaid Khan was lynched aboard a train while returning from Eid shopping with his brothers and friends in Ballabhgarh.2016: A group of men barged into the Gorakhdham Express and robbed half-a-dozen passengers at knifepoint near the Shakurbasti station.