Another theft on Mumbai-Delhi Rajdhani, again after Kota

MUMBAI: For the third consecutive day, passengers on the Mumbai-New Delhi Rajdhani Express found their valuables missing early in the morning, raising serious questions about security in what is believed to be the country's premier train.

As in previous incidents, the victims of Saturday's thefts were also women. Nidhi Agarwal, a Navi Mumbai resident, was travelling with her four-year-old son while Vikhroli resident Raj Bathiyani, a senior citizen, was with her husband, in coach A-4. Both realized their purses were missing at around 4am, after the train left Kota.

Nidhi's brother Manish Agarwal, said, "When my sister woke up at around 4am, her purse, which had Rs 6,000 in cash, a tablet, a phone and bangles worth Rs 40,000, was missing." Nidhi borrowed a phone to inform her brother about the theft. Around the same time, the Bathiyanis realised they were robbed. Ramlal Bathiyani said, "My wife went to the washroom at around 4am. When she returned, her purse was missing."

Railway officials suspect there is a gang operating between Kota and Nagda stations, as all incidents were noticed after the train crossed Kota. "There was no help from the train staff. We went to other coaches and the pantry car on our own to look for the purse," Nidhi said. She said after she raised an alarm, some passengers used an app which indicated her phone was still inside the train. "The train does not halt between Kota and New Delhi. A proper search could have helped nab the accused," she said. "The complaint registration mechanism has to be improved. The RPF at New Delhi station sent us to the Delhi police. Our complaint was registered after an hour and by the time cops entered the coach, the train was almost empty," Manish said.