Passengers of Upasana Express robbed

Patna, Jun 18 (UNI) A gang of armed dacoits today looted passengers of Upasana Express in broad daylight near Barh station, about 35 km from here.

East Central Railway(ECR) sources here said a seven-member gang, armed with revolvers and other lethal weapons, boarded a reserved compatment of the Howrah-bound train from Dehradun at Fatuha station at around 0730 hours and began robbing the passengers after the train left the station.

After looting them of their belonging, including cash, jewellery and other valuables amounting to Rs 3,00,000, the miscreants pulled the chain and tried to decamp.

However, as the passengers raised an alarm, people from nearby villages chased the dacoits and caught one of them who was severely beaten up before being handed over to the police.

Three country-made revolvers, some cartridges and a dagger were recovered from his possession.

Efforts were being made to nab other members of the gang, the sources added.

Meanwhile, the sources added, in yet another incident of mass drugging of train passengers, several people travelling by Sampark Kranti Express from New Delhi to Darbhanga, were found unconscious at Siwan station yesterday.

As the train reached Siwan station some passengers reported to the Railway police that several people were lying unconscious in a general compartment of the train and seemed to have lost all their belongings to an organised criminal gang.

Soon the GRP swung into action and took all the unconscious passengers to a local hospital, where the condition of some of the passengers was stated to be critical.

A case had also been lodged in the local police station though none could be arrested or neither any of the belonging of the victims could be recovered so far, the sources added.

UNI