Two young chain-snatchers on trains, who frequented between Uttar Pradesh and Mangaluru on flights after completing their “task”, have been arrested by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel of Mangaluru Junction Railway Station.
The youth, according to the RPF, used to snatch gold chains from women during night when trains became slow and would jump off immediately. They were caught on hold on the Mangaluru Junction Railway Station premises on Tuesday night.
The RPF personnel gave the names of the accused as Abhayu Raj Singh, 26, and Hari Shankar Giri, 25, both from Mirzapur in Uttar Pradesh. They were involved in a series of seven chain thefts reported on trains near Kayamkulam (in Kerala), Mangaluru Junction, Barkur and Sirur railway stations between September 27 and October 1.
A special team headed by RPF Mangaluru Junction Post Commander Manoj Kumar Yadav was formed to trace the accused. Based on the version of theft explained by one of the victims, who had lost her chain on the train near Mangaluru Junction Railway station on September 28, the team arrested the two persons as they were trying to get into a moving train outside the railway station, on Monday evening.
The RPF personnel recovered seven gold chains weighing 125 grams. The two arrested persons were handed over to Government Railway Police, Mangaluru Central Railway Station, for further investigation. The GRP police are on the look out for the third accused.
Mr. Yadav said the three persons were part of a group who were stealing gold chains of women passengers, especially elderly persons, in the early hours when passengers are in deep sleep. They were stealing the chains and jumping off the train just as it slowed down before arrival at the railway station or as the train slowly left the station. They have been coming in flight to Mangaluru and carrying out thefts on the Southern Railway and Konkan Railway route. After stealing about 10 chains in a visit, they were returning to Uttar Pradesh in a flight, Mr. Yadav said.
On September 27, this group stole a gold chain near Kayamkulam railway station of the commuter travelling in Train No. 22654 Thiruvananthapuram Central Super Fast Express train. On September 28, they stole a gold chain near Mangaluru Junction of commuters travelling in Train No. 22633 Hazrath Nizamuddin Super Fast Express and on Train No. 16338 Ernakulam Okha Express trains. On September 29, they stole gold chain near Barkur railway station of a commuter travelling in Train No. 16345 Netravathi Express train and then stole two gold chains near Sirur railway station of commuters travelling in Train No. 20931 Indore Weekly Superfast Express train. On October 1, they stole gold chain near Mangaluru Junction Railway station of commuter travelling in Train No. 16312 Shri Ganganagar Weekly Express train, Mr. Yadav said.
