Chennai: Five rail passengers, including four women, who were travelling by the Nilgiri Express heading to Chennai were relieved of 12 sovereigns of gold ornaments by a gang of men near the Katpadi railway station early Thursday morning when the train had stopped for clearance at a signal.
According to the police, the incident happened around 3.30 am when the train had halted at Jaffarapet Venkitesapuram before the Katpadi railway station. At least three men are suspected to have put their hands in through the windows to snatch the gold chains of sleeping passengers. Senior railway and police officials on Thursday visited the spot where the robbery took place.
“Some clues were obtained. We are trying to track and arrest the offenders,” a railway police official said. Police sources also noted the suspects could have reached the spot on two-wheelers. “They could have been waiting for the train at the spot. After committing the crime the men could have escaped on the vehicles. We are also checking if they had damaged the signal board to make sure the train halted there,” sources said.
Senior railway police official also noted that to enhance security of train passengers, additional police teams as escorts will be deployed in trains in coordination with Railway protection force.
