Gold and cash worth over Rs 8 lakh stolen from locked First AC coupe on Deoria-bound train; family alleges no police help, Gonda cops demonstrate how cabin door opens from outside

A couple travelling with their one-year-old child on a train from Delhi to Deoria has alleged that a man entered their locked First AC coupe at Lucknow's Charbagh railway station around 1.20 am on November 2 and stole gold jewellery worth Rs 7-8 lakh and Rs 35,000 in cash, as per a TOI report. The family also claimed that repeated calls to railway helplines and three attempts to stop the train using the alarm chain failed to bring immediate assistance from the Government Railway Police (GRP) or Railway Protection Force (RPF).

The incident took place aboard train number 15726, on which Umesh Kumar, 31, was travelling with his wife Sunita Kumari, 30, and their child. The family was returning to Deoria to celebrate Diwali and Chhath. They were travelling in the H1 First AC coach on berths E13 and E14.

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Stranger enters locked First AC coupe while family is asleep

Umesh, who works for a private company in Delhi, told TOI that he was asleep on the upper berth while his wife and child were resting below when the incident occurred. The coupe was locked from inside.

Sunita suddenly woke up and noticed a tall, heavily built man dressed in black inside the compartment. Umesh said his wife saw the stranger apparently putting something into his pocket. When confronted, the man apologised and claimed that he had entered the wrong cabin before leaving.

Sunita then checked her purse and discovered that it had been ransacked. The couple realised that gold jewellery and cash were missing.

She told TOI that the jewellery had been purchased for their wedding in 2023 and was now worth an estimated Rs 7-8 lakh. Around Rs 30,000-35,000 in cash was also allegedly stolen.

Umesh questioned how the intruder had managed to open the coupe door from outside despite it being locked internally. He said police personnel at Gonda station later demonstrated that the door could be opened from outside even when locked from within.

Couple pulls alarm chain three times, alleges no police response at Charbagh

After discovering the theft, Sunita informed the train's travelling ticket examiner (TTE), while the couple repeatedly pulled the alarm chain in an attempt to stop the train at Lucknow. Umesh alleged that they made several calls for assistance and pulled the chain three times, but no GRP or RPF personnel arrived.

According to the National Train Enquiry System (NTES), train number 15726 was running around one hour and 40 minutes late. It arrived at platform number two of Charbagh station at 1.15 am and left for Gonda at 1.35 am. The GRP and RPF police stations are located on platform number one.

Umesh said he contacted railway helpline 139 around three times, but the operators only registered his complaint and provided a reference number. He alleged that no immediate assistance was arranged before the train departed.

The couple said they first encountered police personnel at Gonda after contacting the emergency helpline 112. Umesh also claimed that officers there explained how the coupe door could be opened from outside despite being locked from within.

Zero FIR filed in Deoria, GRP begins investigation

The couple subsequently lodged a Zero FIR with GRP Deoria at around 9 am on November 2.

GRP Charbagh station house officer Dharamveer Singh told TOI that the police had contacted the complainant to establish the sequence of events. He said an investigation was underway and that the police station was yet to receive a copy of the Zero FIR from GRP Deoria.

It could not immediately be established whether a GRP or RPF security team was deployed aboard the train during the journey. Trains ordinarily have personnel from either force assigned to security duties.

TOI also attempted to contact the onboard TTE whom the couple had approached for help, but his phone was switched off.

Umesh further alleged that he had noticed frequent movement through the connecting doorway between the First AC coach, which was the 19th coach from the locomotive, and an adjoining general coach. He claimed that the doorway had been repeatedly opened and closed during the journey.

Woman questions railway security in video shared online

A video of Sunita recounting the incident has also circulated on social media. In the recording, she expressed frustration over what she described as the lack of assistance from railway authorities and security personnel despite repeated calls and attempts to stop the train.

She questioned how passengers could feel safe in a locked First AC compartment if someone could enter it and steal their belongings. She also expressed relief that her one-year-old child had not been taken, while describing the distress caused by the incident.

The theft allegations and the couple's claims about the lack of assistance are part of the ongoing investigation.

(With inputs from TOI)