CCTV & data trail leads cops to crack 65 lakh train theft

Raipur: The Railway Protection Force (RPF) of the South East Central Railway (SECR) apprehended two individuals from Rourkela, Odisha, in connection with the theft of valuables worth Rs 65 lakh from a train.

According to the SECR, on April 4, 2025, Hina Dinesh Bhai Patel lodged a complaint with the GRP police station in Raipur. She reported that during her journey from Gondia to Raipur on Shivnath Express, coach HA1, her purse was stolen by an unidentified person between Rajnandgaon and Durg. The stolen items included diamond jewellery, Rs 45,000 in cash, and a mobile, collectively valued at Rs 65 lakh.

The senior divisional security commissioner, RPF/Raipur, formed a special task team led by M. K. Mukherjee, Inspector, Crime Intelligence Branch, Bhilai, to investigate. Utilising technical resources, they scrutinised CCTV footage from multiple stations. The RPF team reviewed and analysed numerous days' reservation charts to understand the modus operandi of the accused. Approximately 50 hotel records, registers, and CCTV footage were also checked.

It was discovered that two suspects were staying at a hotel in Raipur. Records obtained from the hotel identified the two suspects as Abdul Mannan, and Santosh Sao, following which they were apprehended.