Absent GRP cop not alone,382 fined since September

Shinde,however,is not alone. Around 400 GRP constables tasked with security of women passengers on Western Railway (WR) have been fined for absenteeism in the past one year.

B N Shirsat,GRP Deputy Commissioner of Police,WR,said 382 absent constables had been fined Rs 500 each since September last year.

“GRP staff at railway stations check compartments and mark attendance of each constable — two are posted in each compartment between 8.30 pm and 6.30 am — after the end of shift every morning. Shinde was found missing Saturday. Once a constable is found absent,he is slapped with a fine and an inquiry initiated,” he said.

Mumbai GRP Commissioner Prabhat Kumar,however,sought to play it down,saying overworked constables missed trains due to scheduling problems.

“We have 350 constables for protection of women each night but there are 1,000 compartments to guard between 8.30 pm and 6.30 am. We can cover only 30 per cent of the compartments. The railway administration and Railway Protection Force (RPF) should help us,” he said.

Kumar said RPF,which secures platforms,should also be entrusted with the responsibility of passenger safety on locals.

“When RPF can secure long-distance trains,why not locals? It is not possible for us to secure all compartments.

“There are times constables fall sick. Constables are divided into groups for night patrol and assigned trains. But there are times when a constable does not reach the departure station on time and another has to be sent. We have to constantly keep adapting to changing train schedules.”