Drug-and-loot gangs are making their presence felt after a year. The railway police still in search mode for the gang members.
In yet another incident a 55-year-old man was found seriously ill at a coach of Jhargram-Purulia Passenger at Tatanagar railway station on Thursday morning. The victim, who was said to be a trader, robbed of cash on being drugged in the train.
The railway passenger, whose identity is yet to be ascertained, was rushed to the Tatanagar Railway Hospital.
Concerned over his deteriorating situation the railway hospital authority referred him to the MGM Medical College Hospital soon where he is undergoing treatment.
When contacted Officer-in-charge, GRP, Tatanagar, Ramchandra Ram confirmed that a 55-year-old man was found in an unconscious condition at the Jhargram-Purulia Passenger train this morning.
"It is too early to comment. We are investigating the incident. The victim was unconscious when the GRP policemen brought him to the platform from the train, and subsequently took him to the Tatanagar Railway Hospital nearby,” he noted.
"The criminals might have tried to pretext as hawkers and sell drug-laced food items. These are not stray incidents and the gangs continue to operate in a certain area for some time. Unlike other criminals, drug-and-loot gangs have to board trains and befriend victims. This takes some time,” said an official.
When contacted the officials of the MGM hospital informed that after administering medicines the trader returned back to his conscious partially, but he was not in a position to recall his past.
Officer-in-charge, Tatanagar GRP, pointed out that the trader might have been drugged somewhere after boarding the passenger train at Jhargram.
He went on to repent several drives have been taken up to spread awareness and posters have been put up at all major stations, urging passengers not to accept food or drinks from unknown people. In spite of this, passengers are continuing to fall prey to the organised gangs.
"As per our investigation the gangs used to operate along the Bengal-Jharkhand border as the police had jurisdiction problems,” a senior RPF official said.