Some of the passengers who were beaten up. Picture by Surajit Roy

Malda, Aug. 10: Railway police still have no clues to last night’s Darjeeling Mail robbery, nor are they looking.

Their only action so far has been a lathi-charge on the passengers who they say beat up the Sealdah-bound train’s guard alleging collusion with the robbers.

“The dacoity didn’t take place within our jurisdiction,” said Swapan Dasgupta, the inspector in charge of the Government Railway Police, Malda. “It happened near Kishangunj in Bihar before the train entered Bengal. We are sending the case diary to the Kishangunj GRP.”

The gang beat up several passengers in the unreserved compartment and left with 19 cellphones, nine watches and Rs 40,000 in cash.

“We pulled the chain but it didn’t work,” said Suman Bhuiyan, a student of Siliguri Engineering College who was returning home to Howrah.

“Strangely, the train slowed down near Dalkhola station, allowing the gang to jump off. That’s why we suspect a role by railway staff.”

When the train reached Malda station around 1am, angry passengers demonstrated and allegedly attacked the guard, and were themselves caned as the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and GRP arrived on the scene.

Among the 150-odd people in the coach were several students from engineering colleges in Siliguri and Jalpaiguri. The police took three of the students into custody before freeing them today.

RPF inspector-in-charge Rakesh Mishra said it was the GRP that beat up the passengers, while Dasgupta pointed the finger at the RPF.Some 15 robbers had boarded the coach at Kishangunj station, posing as ordinary travellers, the passengers said. They waited near the toilet for 10 minutes and struck after the train had gathered speed.

“They spoke Hindi. They threatened us with daggers and guns and beat up many,” said Pabitra Mondal, a passenger. “At least 10 of us were injured.”