Train robberies in Bihar haunt Laloo

A rattled Laloo has called for a meeting of directors general of police of all sensitive and crime-prone states, including Bihar, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand, at the earliest.

However, for a quick reckoner, he may well turn to a confidential report prepared by railways — at the behest of former minister Nitish Kumar — on crimes in moving trains in Bihar. The report though may have been prepared as a lever to use against the Bihar government, but the facts registered in it are startling.

The report found the number of dacoities and robberies in moving trains were maximum when they passed through Bihar. And the Danapur division was the most vulnerable. Nothing seems to have changed since the time the report was prepared three years ago. Bihar still tops the list of crimes in trains, and Danapur division is still the most sensitive one.

This year, the division has already registered 19 cases of dacoity so far, leaving at least four passengers dead and scores injured. Goods and valuables worth nearly Rs 2 crore have been looted by the criminals. According to sources, Danapur division has registered nearly 700 cases of crime — including dacoity, robbery, murder and theft of luggage — in the last three years.

All the more shocking is the fact that majority of these incidents took place in trains which were being escorted by the state Government Railway Police. Also, the portion of Danapur division which falls in Uttar Pradesh (from Buxar onwards to Mughalsarai) registered lesser number of crimes compared to the portion in Bihar.

So what makes trains passing through Bihar a soft target for robbers and dacoits?

Nitish Kumar’s report had a detailed explanation. ‘‘The general atmosphere of indiscipline and disregard for the rule of law, coupled with the impression that one can get away with any violation of law, is the main cause for the deteriorating law and order situation, and increasing trend of crime in the state in general, and in the railway premises and moving trains in particular.’’

Easy availability of arms in the state too was cited as an important reason. The report said the use of firearms in 80 pc of train crimes in Bihar was a matter of grave concern.

The report also listed general disregard for rules, lack of discipline in commuters, large-scale ticketless travelling, unauthorised entry into reserved compartments, unauthorised halts and frequent unscheduled stoppage of trains by alarm chain pulling and hose Pipe disconnection, as reasons for crime in trains in Bihar.

DG of Railway Protection Force, A.K. Pandey, today admitted that states like Bihar and UP were ‘‘problem areas’’ and needed attention. ‘‘We cannot cover all the trains due to manpower constraint but certain trains have been identified which will have RPF personnel on board (from July 1),’’ he said.