CHENNAI: The death of a 26-year-old during a mobile snatching incident in the Grand Trunk Express near Ennore on October 4 has raised security concerns in the Chennai-Gummidipoondi section. This was the second incident after November last year when a 34-year-old man from Bengal met with a similar fate in the Coromandal Express.
On October 4, Shiek Shantini Basha was travelling with his family to Gudur from Chennai. He was in the unreserved coach and sitting near the doors. "When the train was moving slowly near Ennore, a man suddenly climbed up the steps and tried to snatch his phone. When Basha resisted, he slipped from the steps and came under the wheels," said S Murugan, DSP, Government Railway Police, Chennai Central.
A Nagaraj (24), M Magesh (20), N Prakash (24) and a 16-year-old boy from Valluvar Nagar in Ennore were arrested and remanded in judicial custody, Murugan said, adding prime accused Nagaraj would also be booked under the Goondas Act.
“The stolen phones are sold in the local market for Rs 2,000 to Rs 3,000. Mostly unemployed youth, who live along the tracks, are engaged in such activities,” said Murugan. The Railway Protection Force (RPF) attributed the incident to slow running of trains owing to track maintenance.
Santhosh N Chandran, Senior Divisional Security Commissioner, RPF, Chennai Division, said, “There has been a caution order for operating trains at 30 km/ph in the Basin Bridge-Gummidipoondi section due to which robbers get access to trains.
“The RPF has been deployed to cover the 30-km along different stretches between Korukkupet and Gummidipoondi wherever public pass through the lines,” he said.
Train robbers target women near Katpadi
VELLORE: Jewellery and phones were stolen from three women on three trains passing through Katpadi Railway Station in Vellore in the wee hours of Monday. S Nisha of Hyderabad, travelling by Sabari Express, lost her hand bag to a robber. She had kept 5.5 sovereigns of jewellery, two mobile phones and a watch in the bag, sources said. Similarly, two other women too lost their gold chains while they were asleep in trains.
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