Four held for drugging,duping rail passengers

The RPF also recovered Rs 43,000 in cash,three mobile phones,several wrist watches and sedatives like Ativan from them.

The RPF arrested them after the four,who were standing in queue for tickets,entered into a scuffle over the booty. When RPF officials intervened and started quizzing them it was found that the accused were involved in several incidents of druggin and looting the passengers. Video footage of September 12 showed the four had boarded Purvanchal Express from Howrah and the victim later identified them as his co passengers.

RPF personnel said that modus operandi of the gang involved befriending the passengers in the train and then duping them withe all their belongings. Usually the gang operated in the general compartment and travelled with valid tickets. “It’s a typical crime where people of one area,get into train and operate in other area. So it is very difficult to track down these people. In this context we consider their arrest to be a major breakthrough,” said Munawar Khursheed,Sr Divisional Security Commissioner ( RPF) Sealdah. He said other zonal railways have been informed about the arrest as the gang was active for the last few years in the region.

The RPF said that between June 2010 and July 2011 seven people died in incidents of drugging and looting.