Mangaluru : Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel attached to Konkan Railway Corporation Ltd. have apprehended two persons on the charge of stealing mobile phones and handbags of passengers between Mangaluru and Udupi and recovered three mobile phones and Rs. 10,500 in cash from them.

The detention of the accused was due to the swift action taken by the RPF immediately after receiving information about theft of a mobile phone belonging to Arpit Alexander, who was travelling from Thiruvananthapuram to Kota on the B2 coach on the Thiruvananthapuram-Hazrat Nizamuddin Express on Wednesday. While he reported the incident at Mangaluru Junction, TTE Gajanan B. Bhat filed a complaint with RPF ASI K.A. Kute and Constable Karunakar.

A communiqué from KRCL said that the RPF personnel suspected the involvement of two youth who were roaming in the train and later entered the general coaches. RPF SI, Karwar, checked the train position online and informed Senapura Station Master in Udupi district to detain the two suspects as the train would stop there for crossing. While one suspect was caught and Mr. Alexander’s phone was recovered from him at Senapura, the other suspect was caught at Bhatkal with two mobile phones and cash.

On inquiry, it was found that T.K. Thakan, who was travelling from Thiruvananthapuram to Madgaon on A1 coach had lost her handbag containing three mobile phones and cash. The recovered items were handed over to the respective owners.

RPF gave the names of the accused as Shafique and C.P. Siyad, both from Kannur in Kerala. While Shafique was handed over to the Government Railway Police, Mangaluru, for further action, Siyad was handed over to the Manipal Police under Section 109, Code of Criminal Procedure [to obtain security bond], as neither the stolen articles nor the complainant (Ms. Thakan) were available.