14 passengers drugged, robbed

AS MANY as 14 passengers were drugged and robbed by miscreants in Sampark Kranti Express from Delhi on Tuesday. They were found in an unconscious state by the GRP at the Cantonment Railway station here.

AS MANY as 14 passengers were drugged and robbed by miscreants in Sampark Kranti Express from Delhi on Tuesday. They were found in an unconscious state by the GRP at the Cantonment Railway station here.

The incident came into light when the GRP personenl entered the compartment to check the passengers. On suspicion, the cops called them. When they did not respond, the cops realised that the passengers were unconscious. They had been drugged by some miscreants and then robbed of all their belongings.

The incident has mounted pressure on the railway officials who have repeatedly claimed that passenger safety in running trains had improved.

According to report, all 14 passenger were labourers and were returning home in Madhubani district of Bihar after earning.

The Sampark Kranti was detained at Cantonment railway station for a long time due to technical problems in the engine at around 6.30 am.

The GRP personnel rushed all 14 passengers to district hospital. While two patients had regained consciousness when this report was filed, the rest were still critical.

One of the victims, identified as Shatrughan, said all of them were coming from Delhi and the miscreants who were unknown top them, offered them biscuits between Kanpur and Gonda which they consumed without any suspicion.

Shatrughan said after half an hour, all of them fell unconscious and the miscreants looted their luggage and cash. He identified his others fellow passenger as Firoz and Javed, residents of Siwan, Raghvendra, Ram Darash and others.

It is to be note that unrestrained and well organised groups of criminals operate in trains who offer poison laced eatables to unsuspecting passengers and rob them.