Passengers traveling on the New Delhi-Bhubaneswar Duronto Express were reportedly robbed of their valuables in the early hours of Friday morning, near Gaya in Bihar. The incident has sparked outrage and a police investigation is now underway.

According to an official from the Gaya Government Railway Police (GRP), a group of unidentified robbers targeted at least five coaches of the train. They made off with bags, mobile phones, laptops, and other personal items from the passengers.

After the alleged looting, the culprits pulled the emergency chain between Paraiya and Kastha stations on the Deen Dayal Upadhyay (DDU)-Gaya railway section around 2 AM, bringing the train to a halt for over half an hour before vanishing into the darkness.

Several affected passengers reported that purses, mobile phones, and laptops belonging to at least 12 individuals were stolen, causing widespread panic among those on board.

Passengers also claimed that some individuals were seen roaming suspiciously within the train on Thursday night after it departed from DDU railway station. A major concern raised by a passenger at Gaya Railway Station was the absence of Railway Protection Force personnel patrolling the coaches for safety.

The incident led to protests by angry passengers at Gaya Railway Station, who demanded the immediate recovery of their stolen belongings. Upon receiving the information, railway police and local Paraiya police quickly responded to the scene to commence their investigation.

A special team led by the Railway DSP has been formed to track down the culprits.

During preliminary investigations, several empty bags were discovered near the tracks, suggesting that the thieves had emptied them before discarding them. Police suspect that a well-organized gang is behind the incident.

An official First Information Report (FIR) registered at the Gaya GRP police station.

Notably, this is not an isolated incident. Just two months prior, a similar robbery was reported on the same Duronto Express, this time near Tankuppa station on the Gaya-Koderma railway section