New Delhi: A moving train, the silence of midnight and a bag filled with jewellery worth lakhs, the accused apparently thought he would commit the crime and disappear into the darkness. However, the alertness of the railway police and technical investigation foiled his plans.
The Sarai Rohilla Railway Station Police have solved the case of a bag containing jewellery worth around ₹12 lakh being snatched from a moving train and arrested an accused. Police have claimed to have recovered 100% of the stolen property from his possession.
Bag Snatched From Moving Train, But Accused Could Not Escape Police
Railway DCP B. Bharat Reddy said that at around 11:30 pm on September 23, Dileep Soni, a resident of Bikaner, Rajasthan, boarded train number 12457 Bikaner Express from Sarai Rohilla Railway Station along with four companions.
When the train reached near Dayabasti Railway Station at around 11:42 pm, an unidentified person suddenly snatched the green backpack that Soni was holding in his right hand. The accused then jumped off the moving train and fled.
According to the victim, the bag contained three necklaces, one bangle, two chik necklaces, two pendant sets and other jewellery. It also contained identity and personal documents, as well as clothes. The victim estimated the total value of the belongings at around ₹12 lakh.
As soon as the incident was reported, Sarai Rohilla Railway Station Police took the matter seriously and registered FIR No. 33/2026 dated September 24, 2026, under Section 304(2) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and launched an investigation.
‘The Clue Was Small, But the Police Kept a Close Watch’
Identifying and arresting the accused after the incident was a major challenge for the police. A special team was formed at Sarai Rohilla Railway Station Police Station.
The team began efforts to identify the accused and trace his possible hideouts using intelligence inputs, technical surveillance and ground-level investigation. After gathering information from multiple sources, the police team managed to track down the accused.
Finally, on October 5, 2026, the team arrested the accused, identified as Shoaib, in connection with the case. During questioning and subsequent action, police recovered 100% of the property allegedly snatched during the incident.
Recovery Reveals Details of the Crime
According to police, the green backpack, three necklaces, one bangle, two chik necklaces, two pendant sets and other pieces of jewellery were recovered from the accused.
The total estimated value of the recovered property is around ₹12 lakh.
Previous Criminal Record Also Revealed
The police investigation has also revealed that several cases had previously been registered against the accused.
These include a case registered at Anand Parbat Police Station in 2021, a case at Delhi Cantonment Police Station in 2022, another case at Sarai Rohilla Police Station in 2022 and a case at Roop Nagar Police Station in 2017.
The cases involved charges related to theft, snatching, recovery of stolen property and other related offences.
The man who thought he could escape by jumping off the train is now behind bars.
Police Team Involved in the Operation
The team that carried out the operation included Assistant Sub-Inspector Shambhu Prasad, No. 208/Railway; Head Constable Surjeet Yadav, No. 609/Railway; Constable Deepak, No. 840/Railway; Constable Sunil, No. 845/Railway; Constable Manjeet, No. 865/Railway; and Constable Rajesh, No. 956/Railway.
The entire operation was conducted under the supervision of Railway Deputy Commissioner of Police B. Bharat Reddy, Assistant Commissioner of Police ODSD Sanjeev Chahar and Sarai Rohilla Railway Station Police Station SHO Inspector Lalit Kumar.
According to the police, further investigation in the case is underway. Police are questioning the accused to determine whether he was involved in any similar incidents and whether any other person was involved in the crime.
