The Hindu : Kerala News : RPF readies for summer drive against robbery

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 15, 2006

Kerala

Kerala

RPF readies for summer drive against robbery

Staff Reporter

Special squads formed for the drive

KOCHI: The Railway Protection Force (RPF) is preparing for the summer vacation, when the traffic of holiday passengers goes up so do instances of on-train robberies.

A recent drive conducted on night trains running between Angamali and Piravom Road on Kottayam route, Angamali and Cherthala on Alappuzha route and Ernakulam and Cochin Harbour Terminus has given enough impetus for the force.

As many as 196 persons were arrested during the drive between January 23 and February 13. One person was sent to jail for causing nuisance on the platform. "Special squads comprising plainclothesmen have been formed for the new drive, which will cover daytime trains also. The accent of the drive will be on eliminating anti-social elements and to check theft of passenger belongings," said B. Ramakrishna, Commissioner, RPF.

The special squad will also be engaged in collecting information about criminals operating inside trains and on station premises, along with curbing criminal activities.

Of the 111 cases registered during the recent drive, a majority was against unauthorised vending inside trains and station premises. Twenty-three persons were booked for footboard travel, 32 for causing nuisance to fellow passengers and playing cards, five each for ticket-less travel and smoking inside trains and one for using the alarm chain without proper reason.

The personnel at the Ernakulam division are all charged up to go ahead with the drive, as they have been widely appreciated for the effective handling of the Sabarimala season. "Not even a single case of pick-pocketing or any other crime was reported during the entire season," said T.S. Gopakumar, Circle Inspector, RPF.

The force, along with a 33-member special force team, kept a steady vigil all through the season. The special force team reached Ernakulam Junction on November 18 and was here till January 20.

The special force is usually deployed in areas troubled with violence and it was for the first time that the force was deployed in the State. "The Sabarimala season drive could impress all, with the Divisional Railway Manager and the District Transport Office of the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation acknowledging our efforts," said Mr. Gopakumar.

In a letter to the RPF, the DTO said that the drive was very successful against "clandestine operations of private vehicles" and lead to a significant increase in revenue of KSRTC during this period.

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