Dozens of passengers travelling in the general bogey of Chandigarh-bound Unchahar Express were assaulted and looted between Jahangirpuri and Azadpur railway stations in the city by at least five unidentified dacoits on Friday evening.
The incident took place at around 9 pm when the assailants, who were armed with knives and rods, barged into the general bogey of Unchahar Express as it was chugging out of the Narela railway station, said police sources. Immediately after getting into the train, the assailants asked the passengers to hand over their belongings.
“When some passengers tried to resist, the robbers assaulted three of them and threatened to kill them if they raised alarm. At least six victims suffered bruises inflicted by the assailants with their knives on resistance. The assailants collected thousands of rupees in cash and mobile phones of passengers as the train was moving towards the Azadpur railway station,” a source said.
When the train halted at Azadpur at around 9.45 pm, the assailants got down from the train and disappeared under the cover of darkness. The victims then went to the police and a complaint was filed.
“So far, five people have approached us with complaints. The assailants have taken away `8,000 from them. Some passengers have suffered bruises when they resisted the robbers. We have registered a case and investigations are on to nab the accused”, additional deputy commissioner of railways, B.S. Gurjar said.
The sources revealed that the involvement of a splinter gang of nearby slum clusters is being suspected. “We have held some people living in slum clusters in Jahangirpuri and Azadpur and they are being questioned. So far, no arrests have been made,” the source said.