Rudrapur auto firm staff looted of Rs 7 lakh on moving train

Rudrapur: Two employees of an automobile firm in Rudrapur were looted of nearly Rs 7 lakh while travelling aboard the Sampark Kranti Express on Wednesday.Police said Rithik Mandal and Sahib Singh, both employees of the same automobile firm in Singh Colony, had boarded the train from Rudrapur railway station in the morning and were on their way to Delhi to procure goods.

The duo were carrying the cash around their waists in specially made belts.Preliminary investigation suggests that the assailants had prior information about the cash. As the train slowed down near Bilaspur railway station, three armed miscreants surrounded them and, at gunpoint, forced them to hand over the money.“The accused were carrying country-made pistols and appear to have had prior knowledge about the cash movement,” said Santosh Kumar Meena, in-charge of the RPF outpost.

After executing the robbery, the miscreants allegedly opened fire in the air and jumped off the moving train.The incident led to outrage among local traders, with several businessmen reaching the railway station and demanding swift action. “We are deeply concerned about the safety of traders. Such incidents cannot be tolerated. The culprits must be arrested at the earliest,” said trader union president Sanjay Juneja.Police and RPF teams have launched a joint investigation and are scanning CCTV footage to identify and arrest the accused.