A HARROWING EXPERIENCE - DRUGGED AND ROBBED IN THE TRAIN

            It seems my run of bad luck is never going to end. This is an update of the recent traumatic event that has left me devastated.

On 9/4/2012 I boarded the Farakka express at Old Delhi railway station at about 10 pm. I was going to Sultanpur (UP) to look up my mother. I was on berth No 9 in the AC 2 Tier coach. Opposite me, on berth No 7 was another citizen, Mr. Punia, who lives in Panchkula. The upper berths were occupied by two young men in their twenties, whose names were Arif and Aslam. Except me, all were booked for Patna.

When we arrived at Lucknow next morning at about 8 am, I went outside and had a cup of tea. I then had my breakfast which I had carried from home. When I came back from the wash room after washing my hands, I found that the two young men had brought four cups of tea, out of which they offered two to Mr Punia and me. Immediately after having a few sips, I lost consciousness, and so apparently did Mr Punia. (Later, I came to know that the he had earlier asked the boys to buy a bottle of water for him from the platform. He recalls that when they gave him the bottle the cap was unscrewed).

After three hours, my brother and his son, who had come to receive me at Sultanpur, found me unconscious. Initially they thought that I was asleep, but were alarmed when they found me groggy and incoherent. They immediately got a wheel chair and off loaded me from the train. When they found that the passenger on the opposite berth was also unconscious, they offloaded him also, on a stretcher. Meanwhile, they had also informed the Police and Railway authorities, since they were not sure if Mr Punia was dead or alive. The train was held up for an hour or so and some local news reporters also arrived. Of course, the upper berths were vacant, the boys having left. They took away my two cell phones and my wallet which had three debit cards, two credit cards and my driving licence, apart from some cash. They left my DSOI, ECHS, canteen and golf club cards. As for Mr Punia, we later found that they had taken his bag which had a large amount of cash. They left all our clothes and a folder belonging to Mr Punia which had some legal papers with his address.

Both of us were admitted to the nearest hospital and put on drips. When I regained consciousness after about 24 hours, I gave statements to the Police who registered an FIR.  My brother had informed Mr. Punia’s son in Panchkula, who reached Sultanpur next day, and took his father home. Surprisingly, neither the conductor nor the attendant discovered that two of us on the lower berths were unconscious. Neither did they notice that the two boys had left the compartment. I presume they had not checked their IDs when they had boarded the train – at least they did not check mine.

I wonder what would have happened to us if my brother had not off loaded us at Sultanpur, after about three hours. If Mr Punia had not been off loaded, he would have remained in the same state at least till Patna, a good 12 hours later. There are various possibilities that come to mind. Perhaps the two boys had purposely booked their berths above the berths which are earmarked for senior citizens, knowing that they are easy targets. Maybe they had come to know that Mr Punia was carrying a large amount of cash, and had been tailing him from Panchkula. If they got their berths at the last moment, this could only be with the connivance of the railway staff.

It is the third possibility that has me most worried. Could it have been done by the dirty tricks department of my old organisation (RAW)? One may ask, why now, almost five years after they got after me for exposing corruption in the set up. Well, after failing to get any favourable response from the CVC and the CBI, to whom I reported these incidents, I had filed a complaint with the Chief Metropolitan Magistrate (CMM) in 2009, under Cr.P.C.156 (3), asking him to issue directions to the CBI to register an FIR and investigate the complaints. After three years, the complaint was recently transferred to the District Judge who had transferred it to the Spl Judge CBI. It was heard on 16/3/2012 and the CBI could give no satisfactory answer for their inaction except that they had written to RAW in 2008 and were waiting for a response! The Judge was naturally not amused and adjourned the case for 16/4/2012, asking them to file a status report. (Incidentally, they could not give any satisfactory answer on 16/4/2012 also, and the case has now been adjourned to 2/5/2012). With the heat now being tuned on them, it is understandable that some people in RAW would be feeling hot under the collar. Was the drugging and theft a veiled warning, or could it be something more sinister? With the increasing number of whistle blowers paying the price with their lives, nothing is beyond imagination. Shortly after this, during a hearing, the CBI Spl Judge asked me if I had come alone. When I answered in the affirmative, he said that he had a hunch that some people were keeping me under watch. He advised me not to come alone in future. The CBI counsel and the IO wee present, along with someone from RAW, incognito. Later during the month, when I met the Director CBI in his office, with a request to expedite the case filed against me, I brought this to his notice.

 Apart form lodging an FIR, I had written a DO letter to the ADG railway Police in Lucknow. After about two months, a sub inspector came to Delhi to investigate the case. He interacted with the Police and the railway authorities. The addresses and IDs given by the two boys when booking their tickets were found to be fictitious. The booking clerk who had done the booking said that he was not able to distinguish between a forged ID and a genuine one. I had given the IMEI numbers of my two mobile phones to the Police. They kept track of it for some time. After a few months when i checked, I was told that the phones have not been used.

I later came to know that such incidents are quite common, especially in AC 2 compartments. The railways have earmarked four lower births in each coach which are allotted only to senior citizens. There are gangs comprising two people, who keep a track of the persons to whom these births are allotted. On the last day, they book two Tatkal tickets and get the upper births above them allotted, in collusion with the railway staff. This enables them to spend some time with the senior citizens, and run small errands, such as getting water, tea etc form the platform. Once they gain their confidence, they usually drug their water, tea or food. The drug is carried below the fingernails, and all that one has to do is to dip the finger in the cup or glass, when the person is looking away or has gone to the toilet. When travelling alone, the safest option is to travel by air or by road. If one has to travel by train, it is best to take a day train, like the Shatabdi.

Maj Gen VK Singh