Railway engineer assaulted, robbed

NEW DELHI: A 52-year-old Indian Railways junior engineer (JE) was allegedly assaulted and robbed of his belongings by three men while he was on his way to attend an emergency call about the derailment of an electric multiple unit (EMU) train near Shakur Basti railway station in north Delhi on November 6.

The robbers, who are yet to be arrested, tried to strangle the railway official, Bansi Dhar, and he fell unconscious. Believing him to be dead, the attackers fled with his mobile phone, ₹2,100, identity cards and other documents. He was admitted to the Railways hospital in Connaught Place.

Deputy commissioner of police (west) Monika Bhardwaj said a case under sections 392 (robbery), 394 (voluntarily causing hurt in committing robbery) and 34 (common intention) of the Indian Penal Code was registered at the Punjabi Bagh police station after the railway official filed a written complaint Sunday.

Dhar, who is posted as JE (signal) at the Shakur Basti railway station, said, “I lodged my complaint four days later as I was terrified and not feeling well,” he said.

The police said Dhar lives with his family in Kishanganj railway colony in north Delhi. On November 6, around 8.45pm, Dhar was off duty and at home when he received a call from the railway station about the derailment of a coach of an EMU passenger train.

“Nobody was hurt in the incident. I left for the derailment spot, around five kilometres away from my home,” Dhar said.

Around 9.15pm, Dhar parked his scooter near the railway tracks and started walking towards the derailment spot, when the men overpowered him, Dhar told the police.