Ernakulam, June 21: Okha ExpressIt was tough time for passengers travelling in Ernakulam-Okha Express at Panvel railway station in Maharashtra when four unidentified robbers forcibly entered into ladies compartment of the train. They threatened female passengers of dreadful consequences in case they tried to escape and asked them to hand over their valuables.
The train started around noon on Thursday and stopped at Panvel at around 10.30 pm when four persons aged around 20-25 years entered into ladies compartment.
Manglaben Anthony D’souza (55), a resident of Mafta village in Goa traveling in the train said that the Hindi and Marathi speaking persons initially said that they would soon enter in general compartment but as the train moved they took out a knife, demanding valuables from ladies.
They closed all windows and doors of the compartment despite protest by ladies. No railway official came in the compartment despite pulling the chain to stop the train. The train stopped by resumed the journey after five minutes.
The robbers are said to have run away with gold jewellery, cash and mobile phones worth Rs 2.76 lakh from female passengers in the compartment. A formal police IFR has been lodged at the Vadodara railway police station as the police at Vasai and the guard of the train failed to act quickly at the place of incident.
Arun Jagtap, a senior inspector of the Panvel Railway police, said, “The robbers got away when the train slowed down at Bhiwandi station.”
—–Agencies