Thane: Phatka Gang member held for attacking train passengers; stealing mobile phones

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The Railway police in Kalyan station of Maharashtra have arrested the leader of a gang that allegedly attacked passengers on trains and decamped with their mobile phones, an official said on Thursday.

The Kalyan railway police on Wednesday nabbed Raju Kengar, the leader of "Phatka" gang, which was allegedly involved in attacking passengers on trains and decamping with their mobile phones, senior inspector Walmik Shardul said.

The action was taken based on a complaint lodged by a small-time television actress who was attacked while travelling in an express train earlier this month, he said. Investigations have revealed that the accused has been involved seven similar cases, he said.

The accused mostly operated on the Ambivili-Kalyan route and targeted passengers who kept talking on their mobile phones, the official added. In a similar development, the crime branch of the railway police has arrested a 26-year-old man from Titwala for allegedly snatching the purse of a passenger.

A police team patrolling a platform in Kalyan on Wednesday spotted the accused, who jumped out of the Jodhpur-Bengaluru Express and went after him, senior inspector Gajendra Patil said. The accused was caught on the tracks and on searching his person, the police found that he had fled with a purse of one of the passengers on the train, he said.

The police recovered stolen goods worth over Rs 40,000, including jewellery and mobile phones, from the accused, the official said. An offence under section 392 (robbery) of the IPC is registered against him with the Railway police.

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