A school principal was allegedly robbed in an express train while she was on her way to Delhi to receive the President's Medal on Teachers' Day on September 5, police said on Thursday.
The victim, identified as Surekha Saxena (56), is the principal of a Kendriya Vidyalaya in Gwalior city. Her brother, Surender Saxena, was accompanying her in the AC II tier compartment of Samata Express, in which the incident took place on Wednesday, said DCP (Railways) Dumbere Milind Mahadeo.
In her complaint, Saxena told the police that she and her brother had taken lunch, followed by tea, around 3 pm once the train reached Mathura railway station.
When the train was about to depart from Mathura, the tea vendor approached them and offered to clear the paper cups. The vendor suddenly pulled out a can from his pocket and allegedly sprayed a chemical on Saxena's face. When her brother tried to resist, the vendor allegedly spilled tea on him and fled the scene.
Saxena and her brother turned drowsy possibly because of the unidentified chemical spray and soon went into a semi-conscious state. Other passengers in the compartment were reported to be too confused to react, said a police official.
After around half-hour, Saxena realised that the vendor had allegedly robbed her of her wallet and also taken away her brother's gold-plated watch.
They reported the matter at the GRP post in Delhi's Hazrat Nizamuddin Railway Station around 6.30 pm and later a Zero FIR was registered by the police based on Saxena's complaint, said the official.
Saxena and her brother also had to be rushed to MoolchandHospital, where they were undergoing treatment.
"We have reported the matter to the GRP at Mathura and transferred the Zero FIR to the police station concerned. Police are now looking for the vendor who allegedly committed the robbery," the official added.
