New Delhi: Passengers onboard the Jammu-Delhi Duronto were robbed off their valuables at knifepoint in the early hours of Thursday by armed men when the train was halted for further signal in Outer Delhi.
The incident took place near Delhi’s Badli station where armed robbers carried out the dacoity. They stole valuables from passengers and it was alleged by commuters that the railway police as well as the staff on train were not responsive to their emergency pleas.
The matter came to light after a passenger filed a complaint through the railways’ complaint portal. In the complaint, Ashwa-ni Kumar claimed that passengers of B3 and B7 coaches of the train were targeted by armed men when it neared the Delhi Sarai Rohilla station.
A Northern Railways official said the RPF has some lead in the matter and action will be taken against the culprits.
“The Railway Protection Force (RPF) has initial leads in the matter. The culprits will be nabbed soon and stern action will be taken against them,” a Northern Railway spokesperson said.
Mr Kumar claimed that the robbers, who were carrying sharp-edged knives, threatened passengers to hand over their expensive items. He claimed that the incident took place within 10 to 15 minutes when the train stopped there.
“The irony is that neither the staff nor security personnel were available there at the time of the mishap,” the passenger claimed.
He said that the passengers tried to reach the train attendant and the TT after the incident and found them after 20 minutes.
The complainant claimed that when he could not find the TT or the attendant, he contacted the Delhi police. Following that, an FIR was registered at the destination station.
“The attendant told us that there were no security personnel available in the train. We are not safe even in AC coaches. Imagine the security in sleeper class and general coaches where passengers enter the train even without tickets,” Mr Kumar wrote in his complaint.
The Duronto train is a prestigious project and the incident raises questions about passenger safety.
