Armed gang robs passengers

Dec. 8: A six-member armed gang robbed passengers of a bus of their jewellery and cash at knife-point near Jayankondam in the early hours of Tuesday.
The state owned express transport corporation (SETC) bus bound for Thanjavur departed from Chennai at 7 pm on Monday with over 20 passengers.
Two robbers were also in the bus. When it neared Meensurutti at 2.30 am on Tuesday, four more culprits who came in a Tata Sumo car intercepted and boarded the bus. They got tickets for Thanjavur.
When the bus was proceeding on the road near the Ponneri Lake near Jayankondam, the six
robbers rose from their seats.
One of them threatened the bus conductor, Mr Shanmugam, 50, at knife-point while the other forced the driver, Mr Rajendran, 40, to stop the bus.
Before they realised what was happening, the four other gangsters wielding aruvals and wooden logs threatened the passengers to part with their jewellery and money.
The armed gang reportedly robbed seven sovereigns from Ms Vasanthi, 45, a college professor of Mannargudi, Rs 2,000 and a mobile phone from the Papanasam tahsildar, Mr Irudhayaraj.
The gang also snatched a bag containing some certificates from a passenger, Nazeera Banu, 22, of Puduchavadi near Jayankondam, and mobile phones from two other passengers.
While other passengers gave up their valuables, a police inspector, Padmanaban, attached to Thanjavur medical college police station, moved towards the armed gang and caught hold of the man threatening the conductor.
The other gangsters, however, overpowered him and pushed him out of the bus. Later, the gang made good their escape in the Tata Sumo which was tailing the bus.
On information, the superintendent of police, Najmul Hoda, and other police officers rushed to the spot. “We have identified the culprits and will nab them soon,” said the SP.
Inspector Padmanabhan, who suffered bruises, said he was disappointed that none of the passengers in the bus helped him when he was attacked.