In a daring act, robbers sabotaged a signal cable, halted the Kerala Express midway near Morappur and looted over 14 sovereigns of gold from passengers, past midnight on Sunday.
The Delhi-bound Kerala Express had left Thiruvananthapuram at 1 p.m. on Sunday. It crossed Morappur station in Dharmapuri around 12.10 a.m. After crossing a few kilometres, it halted just off a nondescript station near Thottampatty for signal.
After 40 minutes, the locopilot contacted the Morappur railway station and he was told that no signal for a halt was given. Following this, railway police and police officials left for the spot. Meanwhile, a gang of thieves struck, snatching the chains of the women sleeping by the window.
According to an official source, it is suspected that a gang of four men were involved, though passengers did not see the faces of the robbers. About four passengers lodged a complaint in Katpadi, reporting a loss of 14 sovereigns of gold jewellery.
It was later found that the gang had snapped the cable transmitting signal at track stone 261/5. According to sources, in the event of glitches in the transmission of signal, the signal automatically turns red. Incidentally, passengers were sleeping with their windows open, because of the summer heat.
Following the incident, the Superintendent of Police, Dharmapuri, Bandi Gangadhar, rushed to the spot. A railway team too reached the spot. “A similar robbery was carried out in Katpadi a few months ago, and the police suspect the same gang is involved. The gang is from a neighbouring State and it will be caught soon,” said the official.
