A high-stakes deception on a transit route unravelled in Bihar's Kaimur district after a gang posing as government enforcement officials coerced an employee of a jewellery merchant into surrendering 2.06 kilograms of gold. Threatening the courier with immediate imprisonment and coordinated raids on his employer's premises, the impersonators intimidated the courier into parting with the consignment. Acting on actionable intelligence, railway police collaborated with Uttar Pradesh police to execute targeted raids in Bareilly, arresting three individuals and seizing 612.74 grams of gold alongside four mobile phones.
The Intimidation at Bhabhua Road Station
The operation unfolded at Bhabhua Road railway station while the courier was transporting a commercial gold parcel belonging to bullion trader Sanjay Kumar Khandelwal. The conspirators intercepted the employee midway, introducing themselves as government officers conducting an enforcement inspection. To weaken his resistance, they claimed a formal case would be registered against him, promising detention and legal prosecution. They compounded this psychological pressure by warning that search parties were en route to raid Sanjay Kumar Khandelwal's residence. Paralyzed by fear and lacking verification of their authority, the courier surrendered the consignment, after which the suspects fled the railway premises.
FIR Lodged Over ₹2.92 Crore Consignment
Upon learning of the extortion, jewellery trader Sanjay Kumar Khandelwal approached authorities, leading to the registration of a formal First Information Report (FIR) at the Bhabhua railway police station on October 24. The cheated bullion held an estimated value of ₹2,92,87,600 (2 crore 92 lakh 87 thousand 600 rupees). Given the sheer financial scale of the incident, the Superintendent of Railway Police constituted a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to trace the transit trail, process electronic evidence, and identify the conspirators.
Insider Betrayal for a ₹15,000 Monthly Salary
As investigators reconstructed the communication chain and digital footprint around the journey, they uncovered direct collusion inside the merchant's business. Sachin Gangwar, an employee drawing a modest monthly salary of ₹15,000, was found to have coordinated directly with the fraudsters. Exploiting his insider knowledge of logistics, timing, and parcel movements, Sachin leaked the transit schedule to the gang, orchestrating the exact ambush point at the station to execute the staged inspection.
Bareilly Raids and Partial Recovery
Tracking the suspects beyond state borders, the SIT joined forces with Uttar Pradesh police to carry out coordinated raids across Bareilly. The operation led to the apprehension of Sachin Gangwar, Rohit Kumar, and Varun Kumar. Investigators noted that Varun Kumar works as a building contractor. A search of Varun's residence yielded 612.74 grams of gold from the stolen consignment, as well as four mobile phones used during the planning and execution of the offence.
Pursuit of Remaining Assets and Accomplices
Addressing the press on Sunday, Railway DSP Gulshan Kumar detailed the circumstances surrounding the interception and arrests. Railway DSP Gulshan Kumar stated that search teams are continuing field operations to recover the remainder of the stolen gold bullion and track down other collaborators involved in the network. Investigative work remains underway to map the full hierarchy of individuals who facilitated or benefited from the criminal conspiracy.
