NEET-qualified man turns train thief: Who is Puneet, arrested with Rs 25 lakh jewellery?

The police said Puneet and Akash targeted sleeping passengers in AC coaches and moved between districts after thefts. Investigators are also probing their role in multiple cases in the Agra-Mathura area.

New Delhi: A NEET-qualified man from a well-educated family has been arrested by the Agra Cantt Government Railway Police (GRP) for allegedly stealing jewellery and other valuables from passengers travelling in AC train coaches. The police have identified the accused as Puneet, a resident of Pilibhit, and his alleged associate Akash Pal, who is from Lucknow.

Puneet's educational and family background is different from the profile usually associated with the accused in the case. According to police, his father is a retired Army serviceman, his brother serves in the Air Force and his sister is a doctor. He himself had appeared for and qualified NEET, with reports suggesting that he had once planned to pursue medicine.

Agra Cantt GRP said the two men targeted passengers in AC-1, AC-2 and AC-3 coaches. They allegedly observed passengers and waited until they were asleep before opening their bags and taking jewellery, cash and other valuables. The police said women travelling with jewellery were among their main targets.

The police have recovered jewellery and other stolen property worth around Rs 25 lakh from the accused. The arrests have also helped investigators trace thefts reported at Agra Cantt and Mathura railway stations, including incidents reported in February and August this year.

Why Puneet left medical path

The police investigation has brought out a very different side of Puneet's background. According to reports based on his questioning, he had been preparing for NEET and later moved into business. During the Covid period, he reportedly opened a hookah bar in Lucknow, where he met Akash. The business suffered losses during the pandemic and was eventually shut down, according to the police.

The cops further said Puneet became accustomed to an expensive lifestyle involving branded clothes, watches, clubs and other costly habits. He reportedly accumulated debt and later began stealing from trains. The police said he began stealing from trains around five years ago.

 The investigation also brought up Puneet's claim about his girlfriend's cancer treatment. The police said he told them that he had spent around Rs 80 lakh on her treatment. Reports based on the interrogation said this expense, along with his existing spending habits and debts, was among the reasons he gave for needing more money.

How train thefts were carried out

According to the police, Puneet and Akash had a specific method. They would travel in AC coaches, watch passengers and wait until they were asleep. Puneet would allegedly open a woman's handbag and take a smaller purse containing jewellery or cash. The smaller purse was then handed to Akash, who would leave after the train stopped.

The cops also said the accused avoided returning to places where they had already committed thefts. They allegedly moved between districts to make it difficult for investigators to identify them. Puneet had previously been jailed in cases in Lucknow, Bareilly and Prayagraj.

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