Naik Navtinder Singh (31) of 21 Punjab regiment is the dead. The injured RPF constable has been identified as Ramachandra. The incident happened at 3 pm.
According to the RPF officials, a woman approached Ramachandra, who was on duty at the railway station entrance, seeking help against two miscreants who had robbed her of valuables.
Ramachandra caught the miscreants. While he was taking them inside the railway station, one of them stabbed the RPF constable and tried to escape. Navtinder Singh, who was in the Army vehicle parked near the spot, rushed to Ramachandra’s rescue.
When Singh tried to catch the miscreants they stabbed him too. “Later, trying to escape they attacked whoever they came across. Two civilians also sustained minor injuries,” said R D Patil, inspector RPF police station.
The duo managed to escape. A critically injured Navtinder was declared brought dead in the Railway Hospital and Ramachandra had to undergo a surgery in Sagar Appolo Hospital. A case has been registered with the Government Railway Police.
According to Patil, some smalltime pickpockets who are regulars in the station premises may have been responsible for the assault. “A button knife without any blood stains on it has been recovered from the spot and the same has been handed over to the government railway police (GRP) officials for further investigation.”
True bravery
Patil had the highest praise for armyman who lost his life. “The entrance point was heavily crowded and nobody came foraward to catch the miscreants other than Navtinder. He showed true bravery and lost his life while trying to save another man in uniform,” Patil said.
However, some RPF personnel feel that shortage of manpower helped the duo escape. “Recently, one battalion (nearly 90 men) of Railway Protection Special Force (RPSF) was withdrawn from the City railway station. With that battalion, we used to deploy two to three armed men at that particular point and such incidents could have been averted,”a senior RPF officer said.