Valsad-Panvel stretch becomes a hunting ground for train robbers

A Panvel Government Railway Police Station inspector said the jurisdiction for manning trains plying on the Konkan Railway Route ends at Panvel.

“There were policemen deployed till Panvel. After that in Vasai station,the jurisdiction comes under the local police stations. We have no idea if there were policemen on the stretch between Roha and Vasai,” said Inspector Sunil Lonekar,who is now investigating the robbery.

He added: “We have asked the local police to give us details of the personnel on guard duty as we have received complaints from the victims that the guards were not present in the coach. We have sent a team to Vadodara to speak to the witnesses and prepare sketches of the accused.”

Elsewhere,Atul Srivastava,the Security Commissioner for Western Railway Division said the incident of June 18 occurred because of negligence of the security agencies responsible for manning the train.

“This area is not under our jurisdiction. On contacting the security agencies after the incident,it became clear that something went wrong. Trains coming from Mumbai under the Konkan Railway get security from the Railway Police till Panvel after which till Valsad the security lies with the local police,” added Srivastava.

A spokesperson for Konkan Railway said the matter is with the South Western Railway Police personnel in Panvel.

“The incident happened in our jurisdiction,but the case is with the Panvel Railway Police. The security of trains comes under the jurisdiction of the local police,” he added.

Lonekar said that although very few incidents have occurred on this route,but going by eyewitness accounts,it seems the incident took place with the knowledge of the guards.

“As per the local police records,the incident was reported at Bhiwandi when the Train Ticket Examiner (TTE) reported the incident to the local police. But,we are not sure about the kind of action that was then taken,” said a police officer.

Contrary to Lonekar’s claim,a passenger told Newsline on condition of anonymity about a similar incident that had taken place near Panvel on May 26.

“Around five to six men with an accomplice inside one of the trains looted five coaches of the Trivandrum-Veraval Express on May 26 around 12:30 pm. The miscreants attacked from the outside in a desolate stretch,and snatched whatever they could grab,through the windows. Not a single guard was there. Later when it was reported to the TTE,he alerted the local police,who never turned up. The victims were asked to file an FIR but at the cost of delaying the journey,” the passenger added.