NELLORE: Unidentified miscreants looted passengers aboard Train No. 20494 (Chandigarh–Madurai Express) after halting the train by tampering with railway signals between Allur Road and Padugupadu stations on Wednesday.
The robbers placed rupee coins on the track junction, turning the signal red and forcing the train to stop. Two assailants entered the S4 and S5 coaches between 12 am and 12.20 am, while two others stood guard outside. They snatched gold chains weighing 12g and 10g from two women and stole Rs 4,000 from another passenger’s bag.
Railway DSP G Muralidhar said a severed wire at a signal junction box suggests an organised gang’s involvement, possibly linked to Bihar or Chennai gangs. The estimated loss is Rs 1 lakh.