**Puri:** A joint team of Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) have arrested a train robber in connection with the fire in Puri-Hatia Tapaswini Express that damaged three coaches of the train.
Reportedly, the accused identified as Ashok Kumar Pradhan has undergone jail terms twice for robbing train passengers and is most of the times seen roaming on the premises of Puri railway station in an inebriated condition.
He had kept a grudge against the railway police and staff of Puri station for being reprimanded by them on several occasions.
On the fateful day of March 22, Pradhan entered the coach S/4 of Tapaswini Express, when the train was getting cleaned after its arrival at Puri. After smoking marijuana inside the coach, he placed a piece of cloth on one of the seat and put it on fire.
Later, he escaped through platform number 3 and in fear of getting caught discarded his shirt near a tree outside the station.
After receiving a complaint in this regard, a joint team of RPF and GRP led by OIC of Khurda Road Government Railway Police Station, Santosh Kumar Bahinipati, verified the CCTV footage installed in Puri railway station and detained Pradhan from the station premises.
As per sources, Government Railway Police will pray the court to take him on remand to interrogate him if he is involved in similar such incidents in the past.
**Also Read:** [Odisha: Empty Coaches Of Tapaswini Express Catch On Fire, No Casualties](https://www.ommcomnews.com/odisha-news/odisha-empty-coaches-of-tapaswini-express-catch-on-fire-no-casualties)
**Also Read:** [Tapaswini Express Fire: ECoR To Reward Fire Services, Railway Police Crew For Quick Response](https://www.ommcomnews.com/odisha-news/tapaswini-express-fire-ecor-to-reward-fire-services-railway-police-crew-for-quick-response)
