By Neeraj Kumar
Patna: Criminal gang is active outside Patna Junction and Rajendra Nagar Terminal, targeting innocent railway passengers. They first gather information from passengers about their destinations and then offer to drop them there. When a passenger falls for their trap, they take him along in a vehicle, only to deceive him in a manner that he cannot anticipate. Several such cases have come to light.
In one instance, the criminals deceived a passenger by promising to take him to Chapra and fled with ₹17,000 in cash, an ATM card, Aadhaar card, PAN card, and other belongings of Tarakeshwar Singh, a resident of Rampur Kala, Khaira, Chapra. Singh had arrived at Rajendra Nagar Terminal by the South Bihar train, where a young man approached him outside the station and asked about his address during their conversation. The man then claimed he was also heading to Chapra and invited Singh to join him. Singh agreed.
The gang took Singh near Patliputra Stadium in the Kankarbagh police station area and told him that his luggage needed to be scanned. He left his belongings in the car and got out. They then absconded with his luggage. Singh reported the incident to the Kankarbagh police.
In another incident, the gang stole a gold chain worth approximately ₹2 lakh from Rajesh Kumar, a resident of Araria. They tricked him into getting off the vehicle on the pretext of police checking and then fled. Kumar, an employee of Jawahar Navodaya Vidyalaya, Araria, reported the theft at Patna’s Kotwali police station. Kumar had arrived in Patna from Araria and disembarked under the Chiraiyatand bridge before taking an auto to Patna Junction. There were two other passengers already in the auto, and another passenger joined them later. As they approached the Chiraiyatand bridge, the driver claimed there was police checking ahead and asked everyone to get down. Kumar complied, and the auto sped away. It was only later that he realised his three-tola gold chain was missing.
Another victim, Sunil Kumar from Sheikhpura, was befriended by a miscreant during his train journey from Mumbai to Patna Junction. The thief absconded with his mobile phone, ATM card, trolley bag, and other items under the guise of taking him to Barbigha. Using the stolen ATM card, they withdrew ₹76,500 from his account. Kumar has lodged a complaint at the Secretariat police station, stating that he had engaged in conversation with the individual who boarded the train at Danapur Junction. The person disembarked with him at Patna Junction, inquiring about his destination. On learning that Kumar was heading to Barbigha, the man claimed he was also going there and mentioned that his brother-in-law, a survey officer in Barbigha, had come to Patna, and they could travel in his car.
Kumar fell into the trap and agreed to accompany him. Once inside the car, the man told him that as it was a government vehicle, all luggage needed to be checked and registered at the Secretariat office. The criminals took his luggage, pretending to process it, but later forced him out of the car and fled. Shortly after, Kumar received a notification about money being withdrawn from his account.
These are just a few of the cases reported, but many such incidents occur daily. The gang first deceives passengers, takes them in a vehicle, and then tricks them under the pretence of vehicle and luggage checks, causing passengers to lose their belongings.
