A Keralite working as an officer with the Federal Bank, who boarded the Island Express to Bengalu-ru, went missing for hours before he was found in a semi-conscious state at the Erode Junction on Mond-ay evening. The police suspect it to be a case of drugging and looting.
V. Anand, 28, who joined the Federal Bank as an officer six months ago, at its J. P. Nagar Branch in Bengaluru, boarded the train from Ernakulam Town at 5.55 pm on Sund-ay.
However, the native of Vechur, around 8 km from Vaikom, went missing mid-way. Frantic relatives and friends tried to contact him on his mobile, but it was switched off.
“He came here on a week’s leave to attend his brother’s marriage on May 25. He boarded train No 16525 from Ernakulam Town on Sunday evening and was travelling on coach S-8 on an EQ ticket.
Relatives residing at Dhar-mapuri could not find him when the train reached Bengaluru City Junction at 7 am Monday. His mobile was also found to be swit-ched off,” a relative told DC.
Soon they sought the help of the railway police and higher officials. Finally, after hours of search, the youth was found in an unconscious state at the Erode station around 5 pm on Monday.
“Our primary investigation shows it to be a case of looting after the victim was drugged. He lost his wallet with Rs 2,000,” a railway police official said.
In another incident, a woman was stabbed at Kollam railway station on Monday evening. Identifi-ed as Tasni, a native of Edava near Varkala, she was stabbed by her lover Noufal, of Nadayara.
In the incident in Kollam, a man stabbed his lover at the railway station following a tiff. According to police, Noufal, who was in love with Tasni, proposed to her. Tasni, who was already married, with two children, rejected the proposal, which resulted in the stabbing.