New Delhi: A gang of robbers looted valuables worth Rs 3.20 lakh from passengers when the train they were travelling in came to a halt due to signal failure in Kheda district of Gujarat, railway police said, reported news agency PTI. As per the FIR registered at the Anand railway police station, the incident took place when Indore-bound Gandhidham-Indore Express came to a halt around 1.30am on the outskirts of Anghadi village on Tuesday.
Police said several teams have been formed to nab the accused. They are also probing if the signal failure was a part of sabotage.
"The robbers targeted five passengers who were sitting near the windows. Without entering the coach, they snatched whatever they could and vanished in the dark. We have formed teams to nab them. Investigations are also on to find out if the signal failure was part of the robbers' plan or the result of a technical fault," PTI quoted Saroj Kumari, superintendent of police, Western Railway, as saying.
According to police, the robbers looted cash, mobile phones and jewellery worth Rs 3.20 lakh.
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Varsha Kothare, resident of Gandhidham and one of the passengers, said a robber snatched her gold chain worth Rs 50,000 through the window. Four other passengers also lost their bags and purses.
A case under Indian Penal Code section 379(A)(3) has been registered, police added.
Earlier in the day, a massive fire broke out in New Delhi-Darbhanga Express train near Etawah in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday.
The fire broke out when Darbhanga Clone Special (02570) was passing through Sarai Bhopat Railway station in Uttar Pradesh.
The station master stopped the train after he saw smoke in one of the sleeper coaches. All the passengers were taken out safely and eight of them sustained minor injuries, the news agency reported.