Chennai: Short distance escorts cut crimes on trains

CHENNAI: Short distance escorts of Railway Protection Force (RPF) in express and weekly trains and EMUs have led to a fall in crimes like theft, claim railway officials.

“Since January, short distance escorts, have been deployed on trains from Egmore to Washermenpet, Korukkupet, Tiruvottriyur and Perambur. This was vital as despite patrolling services, theft and cheating cases were rampant in these areas, especially Vysarpadi bridge area,” said a senior RPF official.

Compared to 99 cases of thefts from January to march 2015, the number has fallen to 58 in March this year. The idea of escorts was mooted in 2015 and was put into action since January this year.

“Initially, these personnel were supposed to keep track from 9 pm to morning hours. We did a time-wise analysis of crimes and they were deployed from 6 pm on these routes prone to theft,” the official said.

Two RPF personnel embark express trains going to and from Egmore towards areas like Perambur. Also, EMU trains from Chennai Beach to Tiruvottriyur have these RPF personnel to keep anti-social elements at bay.

The official said while in some cases, it was juveniles from nearby areas who indulged in stealing by standing on footboard, there were others who travelled from one station to another to commit crimes.

“I travel from Central to Perambur daily and the number of personnel is not sufficient. Occasionally, it so happens that drunk people enter the ladies compartment and create a ruckus,” said Preeta Ramesh, an IT employee.

Officials agree there is a manpower shortage in RPF. As another initiative, RPF has started counselling children from slums near railway stations to deter them from indulging in anti-social activities. Also, there is a proposal to install CCTVs at all suburban, A, B, C – class stations.

Tabs on touts selling e-tickets
With unauthorised railway agents using IRCTC portal to book e-tickets, Railway Protection Force (RPF) has been deploying decoys to catch touts who make a killing, mostly by targeting people from other states coming to city for medical treatment.

In on such case on Tuesday, a tout was arrested from Mannadi and 12 tickets,  worth '18,244, booked illegally were recovered. “These touts use a number of IDs. Using the same IP address they book several tickets. The number of tickets that can be booked in a month by one IRCTC ID has been reduced to six from 10 but the menace still continues,” said a senior RPF official.

“Such unauthorised agents set up travel agencies near hospitals that have people from other states coming for treatment and they are the targets. For each ticket booked, the touts earn Rs 500.”

“Reducing the number of bookings per month to six has affected people like me and my family, who travel by train frequently. Also, bookings in bulk through agents, authorised or unauthorised, creates problems for the common man who need tickets urgently. These things should be checked and kept in control by railways,” said M.P. Anwar, a train commuter.

It was noted that when RPF decoys approach the touts, they are denied tickets if they speak Tamil. The touts primary targets are outsiders to the city. Earlier this month, at least nine such touts were arrested and e-tickets and cash totalling Rs 77,263 were recovered from them.