VELLORE: Katpadi Railway Police arrested a 67-year-old man from Jharkhand on Tuesday for allegedly stealing gold jewellery and cash from passengers after travelling in AC coaches by booking tickets like ordinary passengers. Police recovered Rs 8 lakh from him, allegedly the proceeds from the sale of stolen jewellery.
The accused, Suman Kumar Srivastava of Ranchi, was produced before a Vellore court and remanded in judicial custody on Wednesday.
According to police, a special team led by Katpadi Railway Police Inspector Siva Senthil Kumar was formed to investigate two theft cases registered at the station in August, involving around 20 sovereigns of gold jewellery.
The team examined CCTV footage from hundreds of cameras installed at Katpadi railway station, along roads, the new bus stand and other locations. Based on the footage and other inputs, police traced Suman to Jharkhand and apprehended him on Tuesday.
During questioning in police custody, investigators found that Suman had allegedly sold the stolen jewellery from both cases and concealed the proceeds. Police subsequently recovered Rs 8 lakh, comprising Rs 3 lakh linked to the first case and Rs 5 lakh from the second.
Modus operandi
Police said Suman, along with a few others, had allegedly been involved in a series of thefts on trains operating across South India. The gang would book tickets in AC coaches and travel like regular passengers while identifying potential victims.
After allegedly stealing cash and jewellery from passengers, they would get down at the next station and escape by road to their hometowns using autos, buses or cars, police said.
The two cases at Katpadi railway police station were registered under Section 303(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS). Further investigation is under way.