Tags:
Journalism of Courage
MUMBAI, November 1: The Government Railway Police GRP and the Railway Protection Force RPF personnel have arrested 172 unauthorised persons on Mumbai8217;s suburban railways in the wake of last week8217;s Jaybala Ashar episode.Among other offenders seized during the 15-day-long drive which began on Saturday, GRP and RPF personnel rounded up 36 eunuchs, 55 eve-teasers, two drug addicts and 41 men for travelling in ladies compartments.
Meanwhile, the GRP is still hunting for the bag snatching suspect who pushed TYBCom student Jaybala off a moving train in Charni Road last Monday. However, tracking down this public enemy number one of local train commuters isn8217;t proving to be easy. 8220;It8217;s like looking for a needle in a haystack,8221; Superintendent of Police GRP K Ramachandran said.
The railways have also woken up to the severe shortage of women security personnel. The Western and Central Railways currently require 750 women personnel for guard duties aboard suburban trains to ensure at least minimum security round the clock for lady commuters, rail officials said. However, the GRP and the RPF have just 170 women personnel.
The GRP is also continuing with occasional video shooting of hutments along railway tracks to discourage incidents of stone throwing on commuters. In the video shoot which is done on various sections once in a fortnight has a hired videographer escorted by GRP constables, filming sections of the track from a runningtrain.
