Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Nov 21: Criminals entered a running train in the wee hours today somewhere after Panipat Railway Station and attacked a lone female traveler named Rita Pandita and snatched her purse containing cash, some gold ornaments and important documents.
Rita’s one of the close relative told Excelsior that Rita Pandita boarded the Rajdhani train at Jammu on November 20 destined for Delhi. She was allotted seat No. L9 in B-8 compartment of the Rajdhani Train. At about 3.30 am the train is reported to have stopped at an unscheduled place with sparse population somewhere after it left Panipat.
He said during the short halt, some criminals boarded the train or had already boarded at Panipat, and they entered the bogey in which she was travelling. They pounced at her, snatched the purse and jumped out of the train. The door was open and not locked at all. There was neither the guard nor any railway policeman nor any railway attendant. The victim resisted as much as she could and raised alarm. But before other passengers could do any thing in the situation, the criminals had jumped out of the train because the door was open though normally under rules it has to remain closed, he added.
He said in a daring adventure the brave woman jumped down from the train in the darkness with the intention of pursuing the criminals and catching them. While jumping down the train, she badly fell down and got injured seriously.
He said she could not pursue the criminals who ran away and disappeared in the darkness. In the meanwhile the train moved but two soldiers who were witness to the incident pulled he chain and stopped the train. Some officials came to the spot and came to know what had happened. The two soldiers called the victim who was lying on the ground, gave her support and lifted her back into the train. On arrival at New Delhi station, the brave woman, despite injuries and in utter traumatic conditions, reported to the police and filed an FIR, he added.
Rita is under treatment and has been hospitalised.