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Harrowing day for Bihar’s train passengers

PATNA: Train passengers had a harrowing time during the past 24 hours in Bihar. They were robbed in two trains and some suffered injuries in the derailment of another train.

It was a terrifying experience for passengers of the Patna-Saharsa Kosi Express when they sighted dozens of dacoits come galloping on horses and looted almost all of them near Badla ghat station in Khagaria district on Tuesday night. They were forced to part with valuables worth over Rs. 1.5 lakh.

Those who sought to resist were taught a brutal lesson. The haggard passengers lodged an FIR at Mansi Station and staged a demonstration at Saharsa station. They alleged that the escorting party played truant leaving them to their fate.

The second incident of loot was very close to Khagaria. The passengers of Muzaffarpur-Bhagalpur intercity express were deprived of their belongings worth about Rs. 2.5 lakhs between Rampur and Mankatta railway stations of Bhagalpur district in the early hours of Wednesday. Among those who suffered at the hands of the gun-totting dacoits was a woman who unsuccessfully tried to prevent her chain from being snatched.

In this case also the police escort party was found wanting in its duties and authorities placed four GRP jawans under suspension.

The engine and 10 bogies of the Delhi-bound Shramjeevi Express derailed near Sohsarai halt between Biharsharif and Bena station in Nalanda district on Wednesday. There were no casualties and passengers escaped with minor injuries.The cause of the derailment was not immediately known and a special train had been sent to fetch the affected passengers to Patna.

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Harrowing day for Bihar’s train passengers

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