Bihar cops illegally travel by train to rob gold from trader

The incident happened in Howrah-Jodhpur-Bikaner-Express between Gaya and Koderma Junction in November third week, and the true story was unravelled on Monday (December 29) by the police after investigation

In a brazen case of police-criminal nexus, four cops moved beyond their jurisdiction to rob one kg gold worth ₹1.44-crore from a gold trader’s staff travelling by train, using khaki uniforms.

Bihar cops illegally travel by train to rob gold from trader

The incident happened in Howrah-Jodhpur-Bikaner-Express between Gaya and Koderma Junction in November third week, and the true story was unravelled on Monday (December 29) by the police after investigation of the case on the complaint of the businessman.

The businessman, Manoj Soni, from Naskar Para Bazar, Howrah (West Bengal) lodged a case with Malipanchghora police station suspecting foul play by his staff, Dhananjay Shaswat (Asansol), who was carrying the gold and was robbed before reaching Jaipur, where he was to supply it.

As Shaswat kept repeating the same story that he had been robbed by the police, Soni said that he approached the Bihar Railway police and got a case registered against unidentified persons in uniform as well as Saswat and also brought it in cognisance of Rail IG P Kannan through a local influence.

The Rail IG took it seriously and handed over the investigation to Rail SP (Patna) Inamul Haque Mengnoo, who carried out a thorough probe after visiting the incident spot on Monday.

“Four constables, who were deputed at Gaya Junction but were not part of any escort party, were found involved in the robbing. The probe confirmed their nexus with criminals and through whom they got to know of gold transportation. They boarded the train they should not have and carried out the operation at Koderma in Jharkhand on the pretext of carrying out search in train,” said an official who was part of the probe.

According to complaint filed by Soni with the Malipanchghora police station (Howrah), the incident occurred around 5am when the train was passing from Koderma Railway station, three men in uniform entered the compartment, searched Shaswat’s belongings and recovered gold from him and took him with them till the gate of the compartment. The uniformed robbers stopped the train by pulling chain somewhere in the middle between Gaya and Koderma and took him to some blind spot and robbed all his belongings and again they took him to Gaya junction by giving him a return ticket from Gaya to Howrah advising him not to say anything to anyone. Even two of them accompanied him till Dhanbad and then they left,” read the complaint lodged with police.

Meanwhile, SHO of Gaya GRP Rajesh Kumar Singh registered a fresh FIR on the directive of senior railway official with the GRP police station against unidentified cops under section of 309 (4) of BNS. “The case is being investigated by SI Virendra Prasad and raids are on against the suspects involved in the incident. Soni deals in gold and engaged in gold business. He use to send gold from one place to another in connection with business purpose via his men and agents,” SHO added.