By IANS
Malda (West Bengal) : Armed men barged into the general compartment of the Kolkata-bound Darjeeling Mail between Bihar’s Kishanganj and West Bengal’s Dalkhola railway stations and looted passengers, police said Friday.
After being robbed Thursday night, angry passengers beat up the guard and a constable when the criminals got down after pulling the chain at Suryakamal in North Dinajpur district, 450 km from Kolkata.
It was also alleged that some women passengers were molested by the robbers who looted at will and injured many passengers.
The victims started an agitation when the train reached Malda town station at midnight and lodged a complaint with the Government Railway Police (GRP).
“The robbers looted almost all passengers. I have been robbed of my wristwatch, a cell phone and Rs.500. The robbers snatched a total of Rs.40,000 in cash and other valuable ornaments from passengers,” said Samulya Sarkar, a passenger who lodged a written complaint with Malda GRP.
Guard A.K. Ghosh and the security personnel were admitted to Malda railway hospital and discharged after first aid.
Ghosh said: “I did not have any information. I got down to see why the train suddenly came to a halt. And the passengers attacked me and I came to know that a group of dacoits had robbed them.”
Said Malda Superintendent of Police Dilip Kumar Mondal: “Kishanganj government railway police station in Bihar would initiate the case of the train robbery. The robbers committed the crime when the train left Kishanganj railway station about 9.30 p.m.”
Darjeeling Mail runs between New Jalpaiguri station near Siliguri in Darjeeling district and Sealdah station in Kolkata.