GRP unhappy with Railway minister's decision

Arindam Roy

[Saturday, January 31, 2004 12:41:32 am TIMES NEWS NETWORK]


ALLAHABAD: Presenting the interim railway budget in the Parliament on Friday, Railway minister Nitish Kumar said some sections of the IPC is vested with the Railway Police Force, after taking it away from the Government Railway Police (GRP). The GRP, which is a part of the state police force(s), is upset about losing its powers. This was revealed by sources in the North Central Railway (NCR), here.

Sources pointed out that there have been several cases of crime, on the trains in the past. Instead of controlling the crime, the GRP, many a times were found to be aiding and abetting it. In some cases, they were directly involved in it.

On Friday (January 30), two GRP constables were involved in robbery, in coach number 03568A of 2388 Dn, Jan Sadharan Express. Action is being taken against them.

Earlier, on July 22, 2003, a dalit woman had filed a case of rape against a GRP constable on Orai railway station. It was said, she was regularly ‘insulted’ by the said policeman. Finally, on the night of the said day, he overpowered her and outraged her modesty. The outcome is not known.

On February 17, 2003, a police squad snatched goods and bashed up passengers, between Tundla and Ferozabad stations. A year before this, on February 6, 2002, 50 police personnel looted cash and edible items from the pantry car of Delhi bound 2027 Kerala Express at Karari station, at 10 AM. These policemen caught hold of a person, Shennoy, who was beaten blue and black. When his colleagues wished to intervene, they were threatened. Afraid that they would be shot at, they remained mute spectators. The railway officials registered a case of dacoity. No one has still been punished, sources said.

Between April and September 2003, there were 22 cases of drugging in NCR trains. Of these, 12 were in Allahabad division, two in Jhansi division and eight in Agra division. There were five cases of dacoities (robbery with violence), four in Allahabad and one in Jhansi divisions. The number of robberies was four (three in Allahabad and one in Jhansi divisions).