Bengaluru: With mobile phone thefts in trains running through Bengaluru becoming a serious issue, Railway Protection Force (RPF) Friday recovered five devices, worth Rs 2.5 lakh, from an Andhra Pradesh-based duo.The hunt for the duo started following a complaint lodged by a Kerala-based man last Wednesday. His mother’s phone was stolen from Platform No. 2 of KR Pura railway station around 5pm Monday. She was about to board the Mysuru-Thiruvananthapuram Express when a stranger allegedly stole her Samsung S25 Ultra from her handbag.According to RPF, the stolen phone was valued at approximately Rs 1 lakh. Based on the complaint, a case was registered against anonymous persons.Bengaluru Cantonment railway police, who took up the investigation, alerted the Crime Investigation Bureau (CIB) and formed a team to help investigate the case. The team analysed CCTV footage at the station, during which the suspected criminal involved in the offence was identified.The team activated its informants and started searching for useful leads on the whereabouts of the accused. Following credible intelligence inputs and surveillance, the duo allegedly involved in the offence was rounded up by RPF personnel at around 12 pm from KR Pura station.The accused identified themselves as Vignesh, 30, from Santhepet and J Kumar, 26, from Chittoor. Five mobile phones worth approximately Rs 2.5 lakh were recovered from their possession, including the one stolen in the woman.“The gang is suspected to be involved in several other mobile theft cases in railway stations and trains in and around Bengaluru. Hence, police custody of both the accused is being sought for interrogation and recovery of additional stolen property,” a senior RPF officer told TOI.
