A joint operation by the Government Railway Police (GRP) and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) led to the arrest of two men — Budala Ashok Kumar and Budala Lalith Babu, both residents of Duggireddypalem in Marripudi Mandal of Prakasam district — in connection with the theft of Rs87 lakh from the Rayagada–Guntur Express.
The incident occurred in the early hours of November 1, when a passenger’s cash bag went missing near Vijayawada Railway Station. The theft was reported later that evening by Bezawada Naga Raju, a poultry manager from Guntur, who had collected the cash from his company’s Karlam branch on October 30 and boarded the train from Visakhapatnam the next day.
Raju had placed the bag under his berth after crossing Rajahmundry and fallen asleep. When he woke up shortly after the train left Vijayawada, the bag was gone. His office later confirmed that the stolen bag contained Rs87 lakh.
Under the supervision of DIG Railways Satya Yesu Babu, teams from GRP, RPF, and CIB carried out extensive clue collection. CCTV footage from the RPF Command Control revealed a masked individual wearing a cap and hood, carrying a cement-coloured bag identical to the one described by the complainant. This evidence helped investigators identify the accused and swiftly crack the case. Further investigation is underway.
