The Mumbai-Chennai Express (Departure: 12.45 PM from Mumbai, Arrival: 10.45 AM at Chennai) was cruising normally until midnight when it made an unscheduled stop near the Andhra forest. Preliminary investigations reveal the gang had deliberately damaged the signalling system, forcing the train to halt in a vulnerable isolated stretch. “The signal didn’t turn green, so we had to stop. Within minutes, they were upon us,” recounted a shaken ticket examiner.
Midnight Horror in Sleeper Coaches
Around 1:15 AM, 10-12 armed men stormed into S1 and S2 sleeper compartments where passengers, including women and elderly travelers, were asleep. Wielding knives, sickles and blunt weapons, the assailants held blades to passengers’ throats while demanding jewelry and cash. “They pressed a sickle against my neck and snatched my mangalsutra,” wept 54-year-old Radha Menon, showing injury marks. Male passengers who resisted were threatened with death, though no physical injuries have been reported.
Escape Into the Darkness
The robbery lasted nearly 25 minutes before the gang vanished into the thick forests bordering the tracks. Victims allege the miscreants spoke Telugu and Hindi, suggesting local knowledge. Terrified passengers could only watch helplessly as the thieves made off with gold chains, rings, cash and electronic devices worth lakhs. “They specifically targeted women sleeping in lower berths,” noted an eyewitness.
Railway Security Under Scanner; Passengers Demand Accountability
Railway Protection Force (RPF) teams reached the spot two hours later, by which time the train had resumed journey after signal repairs. Andhra Pradesh Police have launched a massive combing operation in the surrounding forest areas. Survivors have filed multiple complaints with both RPF and Government Railway Police (GRP), questioning why patrols failed to secure vulnerable forest sections.