The railway police in Sambalpur have detained a young man who masqueraded as a railway employee and reportedly pilfered mobile phones from passengers on moving trains.
The suspect, named Dinesh Nag, 21, hailing from Tora village in the Baragada district, had been pretending to be part of the railway staff for more than six months. He often traveled overnight on trains, especially along the routes connecting Jharsuguda and Balangir, targeting passengers who were asleep during their journeys.
According to law enforcement, Dinesh discreetly lifted phones from the bags and pockets of his victims, using one of the stolen devices himself. Following multiple complaints from passengers, investigators worked to locate him, ultimately apprehending him at Bargarh railway station.
Upon his arrest, authorities confiscated 12 stolen mobile phones, a fake railway ID card, a railway uniform, a whistle, and a green flag that he used to pose as an official. A case has been opened under Sambalpur GRP Case No. 97/2026, and the investigation is ongoing to ascertain if any accomplices were involved.
