Bangalore, December 18: The Byatarayanapura police have arrested two persons who used to pelt stones at moving trains and rob passengers sitting near the train doors.
The accused Riyaz (25) and Abdul (22) are part of a bigger gang operating in and around Nayandahalli and Kengeri who used to relieve passengers of their mobile phones and other valuables, the police said.
According to them, the gang generally targeted crowded trains on the Bangalore-Mysore route which would slow down while passing through slum areas, especially along the Byatarayanapura-Goripalya and Nayandahalli- Kengeri stretches.
The accused would pelt stones at passengers sitting near the doors, who, jolted by the attack, would drop their valuables. These would then be quickly picked up by other gang members. “We are questioning the two to ascertain the identity of other gang members,” the police said. The gang was earlier accused of robbing mobiles after pelting stones at the Janashatabdi train on the Bangalore-Mysore route.
Byatarayanapura police inspector Satyanarayana K.P. said many passengers had not only lost their valuables in these attacks, but had also sustained injuries. .
This year, eight persons including two loco pilots sustained serious injuries in such attacks.
Railway officials had recently visited slums adjoining the rail track to create awareness among slum dwellers and residents about the dangers posed to train passengers by stone pelting.
