A high-value train heist inside a reserved compartment of the New Alipurduar to Sealdah route has been successfully cracked through an inter-agency crackdown. Joint teams drawn from the Railway Protection Force (RPF) of Eastern Railway and the local police apprehended both the prime suspect who carried out the theft and the local handler who received the stolen goods. Law enforcement officials also recovered the vast majority of the looted assets, which comprised fine gold ornaments, bullion, silver coins, and cash, valued together at an estimated Rs 16.41 lakh.
Complaint Lodged on Rail Madad Portal
The incident occurred on 15 September 2026, when train number 12378 Down Padatik Express made a stop at Kotalpukur station. Taking advantage of the halt, an intruder targeted a traveler inside the reserved S-1 coach, snatching valuable belongings before escaping. The affected passenger promptly submitted an electronic complaint via the official Rail Madad portal detailing the sudden theft of jewellery, gold, silver coins, and a mobile handset. Recognizing the scale of the financial loss, railway authorities immediately mobilized specialized enforcement personnel to run down the culprits.
CCTV Scrutiny Leads to Prime Breakthrough
To trace the criminal, a coordinated task force was assembled, drawing officers from RPF Post Pakur, RPF Post Barharwa, and CIB Burdwan, working alongside territorial police personnel. Investigators methodically reviewed surveillance camera recordings captured across Kotalpukur railway station around the time of the halt. The video logs revealed a suspicious individual boarding the S-1 coach from the off-platform side. Correlating this footage with ground intelligence and local networks allowed the team to definitively establish the suspect's identity.
Raid at In-Laws' Residence Yields Stolen Cache
According to a senior officer associated with the operation, actionable intelligence soon placed the suspect in Nageshwar Bagh village under the jurisdiction of Rajmahal police station. The joint unit raided the residence belonging to the suspect's father-in-law, apprehending the accused on site. During the search, officers retrieved a pink jewellery pouch in his possession containing broken gold bangles, necklaces, rings, chains with pendants, an infant armlet, a deity crown, raw gold, silver coins, and Rs 1.41 lakh in cash.
Receiver Nabbed at Lalu Market Jewellery Store
Under custodial questioning, the suspect confessed that he had already offloaded two gold chains and two pairs of gold earrings to a local merchant for Rs 1,41,500. Acting promptly on this disclosure, investigators raided a jewellery outlet located in Lalu Market within Rajmahal. The trader who purchased the stolen jewellery was arrested on the spot, and the remaining ornaments were taken into official custody, concluding the recovery operation.
