Hyderabad: In a swift operation, the Railway Protection Force (RPF), Government Railway Police (GRP), and Local Crime Branch (LCB) cracked a high-value theft case within 48 hours, recovering diamond and gold ornaments along with cash worth Rs 35.45 lakh.
The incident occurred on June 20 aboard the Indore–Daund Express (Train No. 22944) in Coach A-2.
A 73-year-old woman, travelling from Indore to Lonavala with her husband, discovered her handbag missing early in the morning as the train neared Lonavala. The stolen bag contained a diamond bracelet, necklace, rings, gold watch, gold chain, and Rs 50,000 cash, totalling nearly Rs 40 lakh in value.
An FIR was immediately lodged at GRP Lonavala. Multiple police teams were deployed across various stations along the train’s route. CCTV analysis revealed a suspect who alighted at Kalyan station and loitered suspiciously. He was later identified as Mahesh Arun Ghag alias Vicky, a habitual offender recently out on bail. A raid at his residence in Chembur, Mumbai led to the recovery of all stolen items.
The Indian Railways and Maharashtra Police have reaffirmed their commitment to passenger safety and urged travellers to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activity via helpline 139, a South Central Railway (SCR) statement said on Monday.