MADURAI: Tamil Nadu railway police have cracked the theft of nearly 3 kg of gold after a smartwatch hidden inside a discarded bag helped them track down a notorious train robber who had allegedly returned to crime after 17 years.
Amarnath Jaiswal had 36 train theft cases registered against him before 2009. Police said he had remained inactive since then before allegedly resuming his criminal activities this year.
On July 23, Deepak Sanchetti, 47, a marketing executive at a gold store in T Nagar, boarded the Chennai Egmore-bound Ananthapuri Express at Madurai after completing work in the city. He was carrying nearly 3 kg of gold.
Sanchetti fell asleep during the journey and woke up near Chengalpet to find his bag missing. He lodged a complaint with Tambaram railway police on July 24.
During the investigation, police learnt that Sanchetti had kept his smartwatch inside a pouch in the missing bag. GPS data showed that the watch was lying beside the railway track between Trichy and Virudhachalam.
Police then questioned railway staff and passengers who had travelled on the train. Their statements pointed to a passenger in a second AC coach who had repeatedly walked between his berth and the toilet and had also been seen standing near the coach door.
Police checked the passenger list and found Jaiswal’s name. His previous criminal cases helped investigators identify him as a suspect.
According to police, Jaiswal noticed Sanchetti carrying the gold and allegedly stole his bag near Trichy while he was asleep. He then transferred the gold into his own luggage and discarded Sanchetti’s bag.
“Jaiswal apparently believed the bag was empty. The smartwatch left inside allowed police to trace where it had been thrown,” said Government Railway Police (GRP) Inspector Suresh.
After the theft, Jaiswal allegedly returned to the same coach and slept in his berth to avoid suspicion. He got down at Tambaram after Sanchetti woke up near Chengalpet.
Police said Jaiswal had two accomplices. The group had booked tickets on several trains travelling across routes connecting Madurai, Chennai, Hyderabad, Bihar and Kolkata to identify potential targets.
The suspects later contacted Rajan Kumar, who flew from Kolkata to Chennai to collect the stolen gold.
“A special team was formed to track and arrest Jaiswal and his gang. During the probe, Jaiswal’s mobile phone location led us to Siliguri in West Bengal,” GRP Inspector Suresh said.
Jaiswal was arrested in Siliguri, while Rajan Kumar was arrested in Bihar. Police recovered around Rs 4 lakh from the two suspects.
Police are searching for two other suspects, Ranjan Kumar and Ashok Kumar. Investigators suspect that the stolen gold is in their possession.
