Crime Desk: Jet-Set Bandit Busted: Train Heists End?
Railway police in Andhra Pradesh have finally cuffed a slippery interstate thief who’s been plaguing travelers for years. Sanjay Roy, a 34-year-old from Assam, tops the list of most-wanted for a string of brazen chain snatches across South India. His arrest at Ettekala marks a win for vigilant officers after a tip-off led to a high-stakes chase.
A Gang’s Shadowy Operations
Roy didn’t operate alone; he led a tight-knit crew from Assam, striking fast and vanishing quicker. Associates like Deep Jyoti, Satendar Kumar, and others formed a network hitting trains and stations with precision. Their focus: women passengers, whose gold chains became easy targets during slow-moving rail sections.
Over 40 thefts stain Roy’s record, with Tamil Nadu bearing the brunt at 16 cases, followed by 12 in Andhra, nine in Telangana, and three in Karnataka. Each hit followed a pattern, blending rural roots with urban escapes.
The Signature Modus Operandi
Roy’s routine was almost clockwork. He’d jet in from Assam posing as a businessman, land at Vijayawada, and scout trains for vulnerable marks. Spotting a woman, he’d yank the chain as the train crawled, leap off, and melt into the crowd before alarms rang.
Post-heist, another flight back home sealed his alibis. This cycle repeated, leaving victims stunned and police scrambling until a recent Vijayawada-to-Tenali snatch broke the rhythm.
Breakthrough from a Single Clue
It started with one woman’s complaint after a chain was ripped off mid-journey. Guntur-Vijayawada railway cops dove into CCTV footage, showing her the grainy clips until she pointed out her assailant.
That video went viral in interstate crime groups, catching a Maharashtra officer’s eye who ID’d Roy from past Assam busts. Cross-checking Aadhaar and priors, police laid a trap, monitoring his flight bookings like hawks.
The Dramatic Takedown
As Roy touched down at Gannavaram and headed to Vijayawada station for another score, intel lit up the wires. Officers swarmed the Eluru-Rajamundry stretch, nabbing him red-handed on a train packed with unsuspecting riders.
Recovered items and gang intel point to more arrests looming. For now, Roy’s freewheeling days are over, a relief for women who’ve lived in quiet dread on those routes.