2 days ago
Robbers strike at moving train in Chittoor dist
Tirupati: In an overnight robbery marked by precision and planning, an armed gang halted the Chamrajnagar–Tirupati Express by tampering with the railway signal system and looted passengers in two coaches near Siddampalli railway station in Chittoor district. The incident took place around 2.30 am on Thursday, raising serious concerns about railway security and sabotage.
The train, which had left Katpadi late Wednesday night, was en route to Chittoor when it came to a sudden halt approximately 350 metres ahead of Siddampalli station. Although the route had been cleared, the signal indicated a stop. Upon investigation, railway officials discovered that wires had been cut and the system deliberately manipulated to display a red signal.
Seizing the opportunity created by the isolated location and halted train, the gang approached the S-7 and S-10 sleeper coaches. Using flashlights, they identified female passengers wearing jewellery, then climbed atop one another to reach the windows and snatched gold chains from four sleeping women. The stolen ornaments weighed 40 grams, 15.5 grams, 5 grams, and 4 grams, respectively.
Onboard beat officers responded quickly, sounding alarms and arming themselves, but the robbers escaped into the darkness before any confrontation could occur. The loco pilot's enquiry to the station confirmed that the green signal had, in fact, been issued—pointing directly to sabotage of the signalling system.
Police suspect the involvement of a gang from Maharashtra with a prior history of similar train robbery. A robbery with comparable modus operandi was reported in the same region nearly 20 years ago. Investigators believe the attackers had specific technical knowledge of railway signalling.
Within 20 minutes of the alert, teams from the Railway Protection Force and local police arrived at the scene. Forensic teams later found signs of forced access to the signal box, while police are also probing reports of suspicious individuals at a nearby quarry during the time of the incident.
Authorities are treating the case as a pre-planned crime carried out by a well-organised gang, likely with connections to earlier incidents of signal-based train robberies.
