PASSENGERS ALLEGE LAX SECURITY BY COPS

Several passengers on Venkatadri Express woke up suddenly when they felt their ornaments being pulled. They quickly realised that robbers were trying to steal the valuables.

“I was sleeping when I felt a tug on my handbag, which contained some keys, ATM cards and `10,000. Then I saw a man’s hand trying to snatch it. I shouted and alerted the others but the man fled,” said Ms Fatima, a passenger arriving at Kacheguda from Railway Koduru.

“We noticed two men running with the loot and asked the police to shoot them, but they stood still,” said another passenger. “The police came in after we raised an alarm. We asked them to open fire in the air at least but they did not react,” he said.

Every express train has four RPF personnel and two GPF, said Kacheguda railway inspector Vijaya Lala. “We do not know why they failed to act. We will probe the issue,” he said.