In the early hours of Saturday, an unidentified thief jumped off the moving Ernakulam Express near Panvel railway station after stealing handbags containing valuables from two women passengers. The Panvel Railway Police have registered a case and launched an investigation to nab the accused.
The incident occurred around 4 am when the train had just departed Panvel station and was still picking up speed. Taking advantage of the slow movement, the thief entered coach S-11 and snatched a shoulder bag from Sapna Salunkhe (51), a resident of Goa, who was traveling from Madgaon to Pune along with her relatives. The stolen bag contained two mobile phones, cash, a charger, and headphones.
Before anyone could react, the thief jumped off the moving train and fled. Sapna raised an alarm, but the train had already gained speed, rendering immediate pursuit impossible.
Shortly after, another co-passenger, Anusha Tamse, who had been asleep, discovered that her handbag was also missing. It contained a mobile phone, cash, Aadhaar card, debit and credit cards. Both women lodged a complaint later in the evening at the Panvel Railway Police Station.
“We have registered a FIR against the unknown accused and are examining CCTV footage and other leads to trace the thief,” said a police official from Panvel Railway Police.
