Dacoits swooped down on Chapra-Tata Express, looting cash, jewellery and mobiles worth over Rs 10 lakh from passengers in four sleeper coaches after forcibly stopping the train by taking the cabin man hostage near Dadnagar Halt here.

It is the second incident of a train being looted in the district in the last 10 days. Angry passengers later staged protest alleging that Government Railway Police (GRP) escort team did not take action while dacoits were looting passengers.

"Dacoits numbering 20-25 took the cabin man hostage late last night on gun point and forced him to light red signal following which DN Chapra-Tata Express stopped," Station House Officer (SHO) of Jhajha General Rail Police Sujit Kumar told PTI.

The dacoits then fanned in four sleeper coaches from S1 to S4 and went on the looting spree around midnight, he said.

It is alleged a GRP escort party which was travelling in the train remained confined to a coach. Kiul-Jasidih section under Danapur division of East Central Railway (ECR) is a Maoist stronghold.

After looting, the dacoits fled firing in the air. The GRP personnel also fired but could not lay hands on any of the dacoits, officials said.

Deputy Superintendent of Police, Rail, Arun Kumar Dubey reached Jhajha after getting information about the incident and conducted raids.

A case has been registered with Jhajha police station. On reaching Jhajha, passengers staged protest against GRP.

On December 27, armed dacoits had looted passengers of Patna-Hatia Patliputra Express near Lahanban halt in Jamui district.