Railway head constable and accomplice arrested for involvement in train thefts

Chikkaballapura: Railway head constable and his accoplice has been apprehended in connection with multiple theft cases .. The head constable from the Chikkaballapur Railway police outpost, Siddarama Reddy and his accomplice Sabanna, have been arrested, taken into police custody, and subjected to further interrogation.

Siddarama Reddy, who joined the service as a railway constable in Raichur in 2011, have established a partnership with Sabanna, who also hails from Raichur. The two allegedly stealing luggages from railway passengers in wee hours.

The crimes came to light when last August 23, while passengers were sleeping aboard a train that had arrived at Baiyyappanahalli in Bengaluru from Thrissur, Sabanna purportedly pilfered 168 grams of gold and two mobile phones from a passenger's bag. A case was registered by Inspector MG Nataraj of Cantonment Railway Police Station, who headed the investigation. Sabanna, who was wandering suspiciously near the R Pura railway station, was apprehended and subsequently admitted to his involvement in the theft. During his interrogation, he revealed the participation of Head Constable Siddarama, who was then taken into custody and confessed to the crime.

Notably, Sabanna is reportedly linked to four theft cases, both in Raichur and the city. In their criminal activities, the accused allegedly divided the stolen funds equally. Their modus operandi included targeting bags containing cash and valuables while passengers slept at railway stations such as Yeshwantpur, Banasawadi, and Yalahanka in the early morning hours. The accused throwing laptops and mobile phones in to bushes and keeping only valuables.

It has come to light that the duo turned to crime to address financial troubles, with the stolen proceeds allegedly being spent on gambling. As a consequence of the arrest, Railway SP Dr. Soumyalata has confirmed the suspension of the head constable from duty.