Goods of Rs 7.72 cr stolen from Rlys within 15 mnths as thieves run amok
| Date :04-Jun-2019 |
By Dheeraj Fartode:
With miserable detection rate, GRP needs to pull up its socks to ensure a sense of safety for travellers on trains
Be cautious while travelling on trains as Government Railway Police (GRP) is finding it difficult to control thieves as it is simply functioning sans any direction. This is clear in terms of figures as people have lost property worth over Rs 7.72 crore that too in 15 months period. The shocking information came to fore through Right To Information (RTI) sought by RTI activist Abhay Kolarkar. Gondia, Itwari, Nagpur, Wardha, Badnera and Akola railway stations come under the Nagpur GRP and Amogh Gaonkar is the Superintendent of Police (SP) since last two years. According to information, the thieves have stolen goods worth Rs 6,22,21,989/- last year while the figure has already reached to Rs 1,49,84,837/- in the first three months of year 2019.
The data reveals lacunae in ensuring fool-proof security of travellers and their belongings by the GRP. They along with Railway Protection Force (RPF) are responsible for security of the passengers. GRP Nagpur has been able to solve just 399 crime cases out of the 3,482 registered during the last year. With this the GRP has recorded just 11.45 per cent detection rate that is abysmally low by any standards. A total of 797 criminal cases was registered between January and March of year 2019. Of them in just 108 cases the cops could trace the accused persons.
A total of 173 criminal cases of the last year and 700 cases of current year is still under investigation as the GRP officials could not get any clues. Experts on the Railways said that the growing number of the thefts is the result of dismal detection rate in the railways. If police fail to rein in thieves how could there be deterrence of law,” he questioned. GRP is operating without direction and its reflects a dying institution as policy makers are unable to decide its role. The senior officials need to take the matter seriously and prepare an action plan so that passengers would feel safe while travelling on trains, he further said.
370 killed in accidents A total of 370 persons were killed under the jurisdiction of GRP Nagpur in last 15 months. According to statistics, 76 persons were run over by the trains while crossing the railway lines, 146 lost their lives after falling from running trains, three were killed after hitting the poles, 28 killed after coming into the gap between platform and trains, 94 persons got electrocuted while 23 committed suicides.