Panic grips commuters after attack in train

what was to follow in less than four minutes. They were five in the compartment when the train started. But as it picked up speed, four youths in the age group of 20-25, also boarded. Before the women could protest, the train had left the platform.

Amita was suspicious right from the beginning and wanted to pull the chain but reasoning that five was a safe number and the men looked barely 21, she restrained herself. It proved to be a miscalculation.

The train, running fast between Andheri and Borivali, was approaching Jogeshwari. The mesh separating the two ladies first class compartments was absent and one of the men crossed over to the other compartment, occupied by a lone girl.

“As soon as we crossed Jogeshwari, these men assessed us from head to toe, laughed loudly and took out long knives, growling, Jo hei sab nikalo (take out everything you have),” recounts Amita.

“He had his hand around my neck, the fingers clutching the chain. The next moment he had pulled it out,” said Shweta. “I tried hiding some of the stuff but did not want to take any chances with the long knives gleaming in front of me.”

On the other side of the compartment, secondary school teacher, Renu Sawant, thought that the youths were teasing the girls and pulled the chain but nothing happened. In a second the knives were pointing in her direction. The next moment the tip of one of them was pricking her stomach.

“I quickly threw my purse under the seat. They got my hand, trying to slip off the watch. The next moment, a hand was groping my neck in an attempt to pull the mangalsutra and a thin chain I was wearing. They just got the chain. My mangalsutra remained intact, thank god!”

The women in the second class witnessing the entire episode, were giving all sorts of advise, the most prominent being, “Jaane do, leke jaane do (let them take whatever they want).” Some of them also tried pulling the chain, but the train seemed to have its own rhythm and refused to drop speed.

The girls opposite Renu also pulled the chain, but the lever wouldn’t budge. “We just didn’t know what to do. I have never been so scared in my life,” admits Amita.

The four youths regrouped, put all the loot in a handkerchief, tied it and threw it out of the train. And then, one by one, they jumped off while the train was still in motion but losing considerable speed. “The chain pulling had finally worked and the train stopped at Goregaon station. But those men had escaped,” said Renu.

The six of them went to the railway police at Goregaon station where they were redirected to Andheri. All have lodged a complaint with the Andheri railway police. Officer on duty asked them to inquire after 15 days.

“While I am glad that my life was spared, this khulle-aam chori just shows how indifferent the police is, how well the thieves know the fact and take advantage of it,” said Renu.