A 43-year-old man from Andhra Pradesh, M Gunasekhar, has been arrested by Byappanahalli Railway Police in connection with a series of thefts targeting sleeping passengers on moving trains. The accused, a mason and carpenter by profession from Singalagunta, Chittoor district, was caught for stealing laptops and mobile phones, which he later sold in Erode, Tamil Nadu.
The breakthrough in the case came after a complaint filed by Durga VM, a 24-year-old software engineer from Palakkad, Kerala. On May 9, Durga reported that her bag had been stolen on April 7 during the early hours of her journey on the Ernakulam-SMVT Express (train no. 12683). The bag, left on the upper berth of the S10 coach, contained two mobile phones (including an iPhone), her scooter key, a bluetooth neckband, and some cash.
Durga recalled that a man had attempted to wake her up at KR Pura, claiming it was the last stop, before quickly disappearing. Upon calling her phone, she was shocked to hear a man answering, demanding money in exchange for returning her stolen items. Though she transferred a small sum, the demands for more money continued, prompting her to report the incident to the police.
According to Superintendent of Police (Railways), SK Soumyalatha, their team worked on the available leads and detained M Gunasekhar. During interrogation, Gunasekhar confessed to targeting passengers for the past six months, stealing their valuables and selling them in Erode.
Police officials then traveled to Erode, where they recovered nine mobile phones and five laptops, collectively worth around Rs 6 lakh. Gunasekhar admitted that his first theft occurred when he found an unattended laptop on a train. Short on money and driven by addiction, he turned the crime into a routine.
This is Gunasekhar’s first arrest, and he is currently in police custody as the investigation continues. Authorities are working to track down any additional stolen goods and other potential victims.
