Kolhapur: A gang of thieves allegedly robbed three women passengers of gold jewellery worth around Rs 2 lakh after stopping Mumbai-Kolhapur Mahalaxmi Express by tampering with the railway signal system near Salpa station in Satara district around 2.30am on Sunday.
Sunita Gorakshnath Tupe (40), a Kanjurmarg East resident, lodged a complaint at Miraj Govt Railway Police (GRP) station. The stolen jewellery also belonged to fellow passenger Surekha Babasaheb Khade (40), a resident of Khopoli in Raigad district.
Inspector Sitaram Phand of Miraj railway police, said, “The gang comprised around eight to ten members, with five to six of them allegedly entering the coaches. Separate cases have been registered with Lonand RPF for signal vandalism and Miraj railway police for the jewellery theft. Police are investigating the incident with the help of a dog squad and a forensic team. The women were travelling to Kolhapur to attend a family function. Some members are suspected to have remained near the signal system while others targeted passengers inside the train. “The manner in which the train was stopped, followed by the robbery and stone-pelting, has raised suspicions that the incident was pre-planned. The exact manner in which the signal system was tampered with will be a key part of the investigation. We have formed several teams and a search operation is under way to trace them,” added Phand.