Increasing theft incidents in Railways

NEW DELHI - Union Minister of State for Railways, E. Ahamed, has expressed serious concern over the increase in the instances of thefts and drugging of passengers on trains specially in the south bound trains.

Ahamed convened a high level meeting of top level officials which included Chairman, Railway Board and Director General of Railway Protection Force (RPF).

He directed the Railway Board to chalk out a strategy to immediately arrest the recurrence of such incidences causing loss and mental agony to the passengers.

The meeting comes in the wake of an incident which took place last week at Nizamuddin Railway Station when the luggages of a number of passengers of Kerala bound train were stolen.

Ahamed also wrote a letter to Mullappally Ramachandran, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs about such incidents, seeking his cooperation in tackling these matters.

In the letter, Ahamed pointed out that security even on Railway premises is controlled by the State Police (Government Railway Police- GRP), the Railway Protection Force having only limited power for safeguarding Railway property.

He also requested the Home Ministry that clear cut directives need to be reiterated to all concerned to see that these instances of theft and drugging of passengers are immediately put down with a very heavy hand and confidence restored among the travelling public.(ANI)