Robbers stop Mahalaxmi Express near Satara, snatch women passengers' gold jewellery

A shocking robbery has been reported on the Mahalaxmi Express, which was travelling from Mumbai to Kolhapur, in the middle of the night. Passengers were fast asleep when robbers got the train stopped, entered the reserved coaches and snatched gold jewellery from women passengers.

The incident is said to have taken place at around 2.30 am on Sunday night in the Salpa station area near Lonand in Satara district. The jewellery stolen is initially estimated to be worth about Rs 2 lakh. The incident has once again raised the question of passenger safety on the railways.

As the Mahalaxmi Express was passing near Salpa station, the signal system is suspected to have been deliberately tampered with, causing the train to stop suddenly. Before the passengers could make sense of what was happening, a gang of five to six robbers seized the opportunity.

The gang members entered reserved coaches S-2, S-3 and S-5. Most passengers were asleep, and the robbers took advantage of this to target women passengers. Panic spread through the train.

Gold jewellery belonging to Sunita Gorakshanath Tupe (a resident of Kanjurmarg East, Mumbai) and Surekha Bachasaheb Khade (a resident of Khopoli, Raigad) was stolen. Tupe was travelling to Kolhapur for a family function.

The robbers are reported to have snatched the women's jewellery by reaching in through the window or by using the window for support. After the snatching, some passengers tried to chase the robbers, but the thieves are said to have pelted the train with stones. The sudden attack left passengers frightened. The robbers then fled the spot under cover of darkness.

Investigating agencies are looking into the possibility that two groups of robbers were active behind the crime. The initial suspicion is that one group was travelling on the train as passengers, while the other tampered with the signal to get the train stopped. Whether this was a pre-planned conspiracy, and how the signal system was tampered with, are still under investigation.

On receiving information about the incident, the railway police began a search for the robbers. A case has been registered at Miraj railway police station, and a police team has left for Satara district to investigate.

Concern has been voiced over passenger safety, with such an incident occurring on a moving train during the festival season. If the suspicion that the signal was tampered with to carry out the robbery proves correct, serious questions could arise for railway security arrangements.