29-06-2025
Cops open fire, foil robbery bid on Visakha Exp
Visakhapatnam: A robbery attempt on the Bhubaneswar–Secunderabad Visakha Express was foiled near Tummala Cheruvu in Palnadu district in the early hours of Sunday.
Alert Govt Railway Police (GRP) personnel on escort duty opened fire on the robbers and successfully prevented the heist.
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The robbers managed to flee, prompting a joint manhunt by the GRP and Railway Protection Force (RPF) to identify and apprehend the culprits.
According to Guntur Railway DSP B Akkeshwara Rao, unidentified individuals pulled the train's alarm chain between 3:30am and 3:45am As per Standard Operating Procedure (SOP), escort personnel disembarked and raised an alarm to alert passengers. The robbers, however, escaped into nearby fields.
Despite warnings, the gang — along with accomplices waiting near the tracks — pelted stones at the police. In response, escort personnel fired five rounds from a 9mm pistol and four rounds from a .303 rifle into the air. No injuries were reported, and passengers remained unharmed.
The train was halted for 10-12 minutes at Tummala Cheruvu following the incident. Police suspect the same gang may be behind previous robbery attempts in the Piduguralla–Nadikudi stretch, including a recent attempt in the Visakha–Charlapalli special train. Investigators believe the gang may be operating from Bihar and Maharashtra.
