Chennai: The CB-CID team is questioning five persons from North India, who had recently quit their jobs with the parcel office at Egmore station, in connection with the train robbery that occurred on the Salem-Chennai Egmore Express on 9 August.

The investigating team now consists of five DSPs and 15 Inspectors. A special team has left for Salem to conduct inquiries.

It is now believed, based on CCTV evidence, that the hole on the roof of the coach was drilled even before the train reached Chennai. But, doubts are being expressed on this conclusion because the visuals were not clear. The train had arrived at Egmore at around 4.00 am, and bank officials reached the station by nearly 11.00 am to collect the boxes. Therefore, the possibility that the robbery was committed after the train reached Chennai Egmore has been ruled out.

Parcel coaches, guarded by Armed Reserve forces from Salem, were carrying Rs.325 crores of RBI’s money in 226 sealed boxes on the Salem-Chennai Egmore Express train, when the robbery occurred in the early hours of August 9. The robbers had looted nearly Rs.5.75 crores in soiled and damaged notes.