Mobile Phone Theft Ring Busted at Bengaluru Railway Station
In a significant crackdown on mobile phone thefts plaguing trains and stations in Bengaluru, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) successfully recovered five stolen devices valued at approximately Rs 2.5 lakh from two suspects hailing from Andhra Pradesh on Friday.
The operation was initiated following a complaint lodged by a Kerala-based man on the previous Wednesday. According to the complaint, his mother's Samsung S25 Ultra, worth around Rs 1 lakh, was stolen from her handbag at Platform No. 2 of KR Pura railway station around 5 pm on Monday. She was about to board the Mysuru-Thiruvananthapuram Express when an unknown individual allegedly committed the theft. A case was registered against unidentified persons.
Investigation and Arrest
The Bengaluru Cantonment railway police took over the investigation and alerted the Crime Investigation Bureau (CIB). A dedicated team was formed to probe the case. By analyzing CCTV footage from the station, the team identified a suspect involved in the theft. Subsequently, informants were activated, and a search for leads on the whereabouts of the accused began.
Acting on credible intelligence and surveillance, RPF personnel apprehended the two suspects at KR Pura station around 12 pm. The accused were identified as Vignesh, 30, from Santhepet, and J Kumar, 26, from Chittoor. During the arrest, five mobile phones worth approximately Rs 2.5 lakh were recovered, including the one stolen from the woman.
Broader Investigation Underway
A senior RPF officer stated, "The gang is suspected to be involved in several other mobile theft cases in railway stations and trains in and around Bengaluru. Hence, police custody of both the accused is being sought for interrogation and recovery of additional stolen property." Authorities are now working to uncover the full extent of the gang's operations and recover more stolen items.
This recovery marks a crucial step in curbing the rising trend of mobile thefts in Bengaluru's railway network, offering relief to commuters who have fallen victim to such crimes.
