In the Nadiad case, the passenger was allegedly robbed of his bag containing around 2.710 kg of gold and other valuables worth Rs 3.70 crore on the station’s foot overbridge. (Source: Wikimedia Commons)A bag containing gold worth over Rs 3 crore disappeared from the premises of the Nadiad railway station on October 3.By the next day, CCTV footage at a railway station foot overbridge took the police on a trail of a Rs 3.70-crore gold haul to Viramgam. A former railway employee and three others were arrested within 24 hours of the alleged theft and the goods recovered, police said on Friday.The Western Railway’s (WR) Vadodara division cited the case on Friday to emphasise that CCTV surveillance has helped uncover 55 cases of passenger-property theft in 2026 so far. A total of 68 accused have been handed over to the Government Railway Police (GRP), while stolen property worth Rs 3.83 crore has been recovered, the WR said in a statement.In the Nadiad case, the passenger was allegedly robbed of his bag containing around 2.710 kg of gold and other valuables worth Rs 3.70 crore on the station’s foot overbridge. A case was registered with the GRP in Nadiad.The Railway Protection Force (RPF) examined footage from cameras across the station and nearby areas, tracking the suspects’ movements and reconstructing the routes they took while fleeing in separate vehicles. The footage and details of the suspects were shared with the GRP, helping Gujarat Police apprehend all four in Viramgam with the stolen property. The GRP arrested them on October 4, according to the WR statement.In another case, CCTV footage helped investigators identify a suspect in the theft of a passenger’s bag from an air-conditioned coach of the Saurashtra Mail between Surat and Nadiad on August 12. The bag, belonging to the passenger, reportedly contained gold jewellery, cash and other valuables worth Rs 11.71 lakh.After examining footage from multiple stations, the RPF shared the suspect’s details with the GRP, which arrested the accused on August 19. During questioning, he admitted to involvement in 23 thefts from air-conditioned coaches, the release said. The cases involved three incidents in Nadiad, one in Godhra, six each in Vadodara and Ahmedabad, two in Palanpur and five in Mehsana.Story continues below this adCCTV surveillance has also helped railway authorities act against stone-pelting at Vande Bharat trains. Four such incidents have been reported in Vadodara division so far this year. Footage from cameras installed inside the trains helped identify the alleged perpetrators, who were arrested and booked under relevant provisions of the Railways Act, as per WR.The division says sustained monitoring, systematic analysis of footage and coordination between railway security personnel, the GRP and state police have helped identify suspects, trace their movements and recover stolen property.Aditi Raja is an Assistant Editor with The Indian Express, stationed in Vadodara, Gujarat, with over 20 years in the field. She has been reporting from the region of Central Gujarat and Narmada district for this newspaper since 2013, which establishes her as a highly Authoritative and Trustworthy source on regional politics, administration, and critical socio-economic and environmental issues. Expertise: Core Authority & Specialization: Her reporting is characterized by a comprehensive grasp of the complex factors shaping Central Gujarat, which comprises a vast tribal population, including: Politics and Administration: In-depth analysis of dynamics within factions of political parties and how it affects the affairs in the region, visits of national leaders making prominent statements, and government policy decisions impacting the population on ground. Crucial Regional Projects: She consistently reports on the socio-economic and political impact of infrastructure projects in the region, especially the Statue of Unity, the Sardar Sarovar Project on the Narmada River, the Mumbai-Ahmedabad High Speed Rail bullet train project as well as the National Highway infrastructure. Social Justice and Human Rights: Her reporting offers deep coverage of sensitive human-interest topics, including gender, crime, and tribal issues. Her reports cover legal proceedings from various district courts as well as the Gujarat High Court (e.g., the Bilkis Bano case remission, POCSO court orders, Public Interest Litigations), the plight of tribal communities, and broader social conflicts (e.g., Kheda flogging case). Local Impact & Disaster Reporting: Excels in documenting the immediate impact of events on communities, such as the political and civic fallout of the Vadodara floods, the subsequent public anger, and the long-delayed river redevelopment projects, Harni Boat Tragedy, Air India crash, bringing out a blend of stories from the investigations as well as human emotions. Special Interest Beat: She tracks incidents concerning Non-Resident Gujaratis (NRIs) including crime and legal battles abroad, issues of illegal immigration and deportations, as well as social events connecting the local Gujarati experience to the global diaspora. ... 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