Man hit passengers sitting near train doors with stick to snatch mobile phones; Bengal native arrested

Kochi: The main accused in a gang that used to snatch mobile phones by striking passengers with a stick while they were sitting or standing near train doors and windows has been arrested. The arrested man is Ali Muhammad (21) from Uttar Dinajpur, West Bengal. He was nabbed by the Ernakulam Railway Protection Force (RPF).

Three members of his gang had already been arrested in August. After learning about their arrest, Ali Muhammad fled to West Bengal. However, his mobile phone remained under RPF surveillance. Believing the issue had cooled down, he returned to Kerala and took up a job at a bakery in Cherthala under a fake name, where the RPF finally nabbed him.

The investigation by the RPF began after a passenger’s mobile phone was snatched on August 16 from the Sabari Express while it was en route to Thiruvananthapuram. The gang was found to be waiting at a spot near Pullepady, Ernakulam, where the train slowed down, and repeatedly carried out such thefts by hitting passengers’ hands with sticks.

On returning to the same spot later, the police nabbed Muhammad Kasim (21), Munna Mushtaq (32), and Abdul Lekim (21)—all natives of Bengal. Ali Muhammad, who was with them, managed to switch off his phone and escape to Bengal. The RPF then formed a special team to track him down.

The investigation was led by Railway Police DySP George, RPF Divisional Security Commissioner Muhammad Hanif, Inspector Balan, SHO Nahrudeen, RPF Ernakulam South Inspector Binoy Antony, North Inspector Vinoj G. Nair, and ASI Sreejith.