Unidentified miscreants decamped with jewellery and cash worth Rs. 3.5 lakh belonging to three passengers travelling in the Ahmedabad-Chennai Navjeevan Express in the early hours of Monday.
According to Vijayawada Railway SP Ch. Syam Prasad, three passengers -- Chandak, Smitha Uday and Dhara Vyas -- travelling in A1 coach lodged a complaint with the railway police that their handbags were missing from the compartment. They noticed the theft when the train crossed Balharshah around 3.30 a.m. A woman travelling in B1 coach also complained of Rs.10,000 in cash missing from her purse.
No security“Passengers complained that no Travelling Ticket Examiners (TTEs), railway police or attendants were found in the coach. We suspect the thieves travelled as co-passengers and got down at some station after committing the crime,”said Mr. Syam Prasad. The theft was committed between Balharshah and Warangal but, the passengers noticed it near Sirpur Kagaznagar. When the train reached Vijayawada, they lodged a complaint around 9.45 a.m.
Connivance suspected“Cases have been registered and will be transferred to either Telangana or Maharashtra railway police depending on the limits of the police stations. I think the theft was committed owing to the negligence or connivance of the TTEs, attendants or the police,” SP added.
