Chennai: The tall claims RPF made about optimising passenger safety came to nought on Tuesday when a two-member gang robbed women passengers at knifepoint aboard the first EMU starting from Chengalpet towards Beach around half past 4 in the morning.
The incident brings back old fears over local trains being unsafe, particularly for women commuters in late night and early morning hours. Had the promised RPF constable been available in the ladies coach of the first train that started from Chengalpet at 4.25am on Tuesday, 24-year-old Divya of Chengalpet would not have had the near death experience. Nor would she have lost her two-sovereign gold chain, ring and earring to robbers who threatened to cut her ear off if she did not remove her earring.
Eyewitness who were unwilling to be named were learnt to have told GRP sources that the two robbers had wrapped a bed sheet around themselves and pretended to be sleeping even when the train was idling at Chengalpet station.
