RPF Constables' Sharp Instincts Unravel Major Bank Robbery Case
In a remarkable display of vigilance, two Railway Protection Force constables have been credited with cracking open the high-profile Singrauli bank heist case, leading to the arrest of a key accused from a train in Bihar. The breakthrough came through a combination of sharp observation skills and decisive action by the officers.
The Dramatic Bank Robbery
On April 17, five armed men executed a daring daylight robbery at a Bank of Maharashtra branch in Singrauli. The criminals fired a shot in the air to create panic before swiftly escaping with approximately Rs 22 lakh in cash and gold valued at nearly Rs 5.5 crore. The entire operation was completed within just 15 minutes, leaving authorities scrambling for leads in what appeared to be a perfectly planned heist.
The Railway Breakthrough
The investigation took a dramatic turn the following day aboard the 13349 Singrauli Express. Constables Umakant and Mohammad Nazar, deployed from Garhwa station in Jharkhand, noticed a young man behaving suspiciously in the general coach. The individual was sitting near a window with a bag he seemed reluctant to show, and his evasive responses to routine questions immediately raised red flags.
"Initially, we suspected possible liquor smuggling, which is a common concern on Bihar-bound trains," explained one of the constables. "But something about his behavior didn't add up. He was unusually nervous and kept changing his story."
The Coordinated Arrest
Trusting their instincts, the constables immediately alerted their seniors while keeping the suspect engaged in conversation. Acting on this crucial tip-off, an RPF team strategically intercepted the train at Dehri-on-Sone station in Bihar and detained the youth, who was later identified as 20-year-old Kamlesh Kumar from Nalanda district.
RPF Incharge Ramvilas Ram of the East Central Railway zone detailed the operation: "The constables on board informed us about the suspicious passenger. We instructed them to keep him engaged while we prepared to apprehend him at Dehri-on-Sone railway station. When the train stopped, we immediately took him into custody."
The Unraveling Lies
During initial questioning, Kamlesh Kumar attempted to fabricate a cover story, claiming he worked as a laborer in Pune and had borrowed Rs 5 lakh from his contractor because his mother was ill. However, when authorities contacted his father using the provided number, the story quickly fell apart.
"He first informed us that he works in Pune as a laborer and since his mother is ill, he took Rs 5 lakh from his contractor as loan and was going home," Ramvilas Ram revealed. "We took the number of his father and dialled him. It turned out that he was lying completely."
The Recovery and Escape
The investigation took another twist when local police were contacted about the detention. Authorities discovered that another suspect had been traveling in the same coach but managed to slip away unnoticed during the commotion.
"We were not aware of the robbery till then," explained the RPF officer. "One more suspect was with Kamlesh, but he was sitting at some distance and slipped away. On being questioned, Kamlesh said they had boarded the train from Garhwa and had purchased an iPhone worth Rs 83,000 there; the phone remained with the other suspect."
From Kamlesh Kumar, authorities recovered a substantial amount of stolen property: Rs 15.22 lakh in cash and approximately 61 grams of gold, directly linking him to the Singrauli bank robbery.
Ongoing Investigation
Singrauli Superintendent of Police Manish Khatri confirmed that Kamlesh Kumar has been taken into police custody for intensive questioning. "He has been taken into police custody and we are quizzing him thoroughly," SP Khatri stated. "Meanwhile, teams are gathering additional facts and evidence. Their route is also being verified meticulously. We are hopeful of arresting all the accused soon as the investigation progresses."
The successful intervention by the RPF constables has provided crucial momentum to what was becoming a challenging investigation. Their alertness not only led to the recovery of significant stolen assets but also provided investigators with vital leads to track down the remaining suspects involved in this major financial crime.
