Chennai: The Government Railway Police (GRP) has arrested a gang who does not belong to Tamil Nadu. They come from another state and commit the offences. The offences that the gang are involved in are snatching chains from women on board trains and committing robberies in trains. The method in which the gang operates is to stay near railway tracks, pose as beggars and later undertake their illegal activity at night. As the railway police received, a number of complaints in connection with a series of chain-snatching incidents near Mavelipalayam and Erode stations recently and 12 complaints were registered at the GRP station in Erode. Steps were being taken to apprehend the accused. In an effort to apprehend the gang who were indulging in illegal activities such as chain snatching, Mr. C. Sylendra Babu, Director General of Police, Railways, constituted five special teams. On the investigation conducted by the special team, they arrested four persons near Erode on Friday night. The arrested persons were identified as Balaji Shankar Shinde, 50, Thanaji Manmad Shinde, 20, Sunil Manmad Shinde, 21 of Solapur and Pappu Eswar, 25 of Tuljapur, Maharashtra. The gang originates from Maharashtra and they camp near railway tracks. During the day the accused act as beggars and during the night they indulge in criminal activities. The accused keep a close watch on the trains that pass by and when a train slows down either for a signal or near a railway station, the accused to reach the window of the train stands on the shoulder of another person and does the chain snatching from the women in the train. After committing the offence, the accused go to the nearest town and board the trains to their native place. When a train slows, down near a bridge or for a signal, they enter the train and rob the passengers in the train of their cash, gold jewellery and valuables. The gang operated near the Salem, Erode, Katpadi and Jolarpet stations. In spite of losing his right leg a few years ago and walks with an artificial limb, the main accused, Balaji Shankar Shinde, not taking into account his disability, he along with his relatives targeted trains in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana. The special police teams deployed for nabbing the gang was appreciated by the Director-General of Police Law and Order Mr. T.K. Rajendran and Mr. Sylendra Babu for arresting the gang. The jewellery recovered from the suspects would be handed over to the owners soon.]]>
