Silchar bound Agartala passenger train looted

From our Staff Reporter

SILCHAR, Jan 20: A daredevil dacoity on the Silchar bound Agartala passenger train on Tuesday night resulted in massive mob fury and vandalism at Silchar railway station which lasted till midnight.

Victimized passengers categorically accused the train driver and his helper of having tacit understanding with the dacoits. People were so irritated that GRP and Silchar police forcibly locked driver Surendra Chandra Das and his assistant KC Das inside a room in the station to protect them from mob violence.

Train robbery in Lumbding - Badarpur and Agartala - Badarpur had become a routine incident but the surprise element in Tuesday's robbery was that the dacoits got up in the train at Salchapra station before the terminal stoppage at Silchar.

Passengers alleged that the driver intentionally slowed down the train once it had left Salchapra and falicitated a group of seven dacoits to jump inside the train.They snatched away all the belongings of the passengers , most of whom were coming from Tripura for medical treatment in Silchar.

They further alleged that the driver again slowed down the train just before entering into Machimpur station and the dacoits got down from the train.The incident happened at around 9:45 pm and the ill fated train reached Silchar at 10:30 pm. Irate passengers resorted to vandalism. Sensing trouble ,railway employees and GRP withdrew themselves from the scene.

Silchar police arrived at the spot and sweated it out to control the mob fury.Local residents also raised fingers at at the GRP personnels alleging that they got intoxicated every night and the entire railway complex became a den for anti-social activities.THE SENTINEL