Teachers' Day awardee, relative robbed in train

A Gwalior school principal and her brother-in-law were allegedly drugged and robbed of Rs 50,000 in a train when they were on their way to Delhi to receive the Teachers’ Day award.

Rekha Saxena was scheduled to receive the award from President Pranab Mukherjee on Saturday, but she lay unconscious at the Moolchand hospital where doctors said her condition will be known after the medical reports in 48 hours.

Rekha’s brother-in-law Surender Saxena who travelled with her in Samta Express managed to regain consciousness and notified the GRP who rushed the duo to hospital. “We boarded the train at Gwalior railway station on Wednesday. We were at AC-first class, where three youths were also travelling,” Surender said.

“They began talking to us and we also opened up. When they offered their food, we politely refused. They wanted to exchange their seat and I took the upper berth.

“They offered tea to us and I accepted it reluctantly. I went to the bathroom and returned to see Rekha asleep with her curtains drawn. I was about to lie down on my birth when I felt someone spraying something and fell unconscious,” he said.

Union HRD Minister Smriti Irani visited the unconscious Rekha at the hospital and assured the family of all assistance. “All the culprits will be caught; we will make sure that she gets the best treatment,’ she said.