Title - Government Railway Police (GRP) extends armed security for 50 trains

PUNE: The Government Railway Police (GRP) has begun deploying armed security guards in 50 trains passing through Pune district at night from Friday. The move follows two armed robberies on trains in the last two days.Superintendent of police (GRP) Pratapsinh Patankar said, "The increased rate of crimes in the trains is alarming. The current drought-like situation may be a reason for such crimes."Patankar added that the jurisdiction of the GRP, Pune, is from Karjat in Thane district to Belapur in Ahmednagar district and from Kolhapur to Hotgi in Solapur district. "As many as 170 trains travel through the jurisdiction every day. It is not possible to provide security for every train. The Government Railway Police and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) provide security on trains," Patankar said.The GRP gives security cover to 28 trains passing through Pune at night. "To provide additional security, we will have to use staff from our offices. Two armed guards will patrol these trains. We have asked them to concentrate on general compartments," he added.Forty posts are vacant while 67 recruits are under training, Patankar said. "It will take another year for these 67 to join the force," Patankar said.Patankar said the government railway police used to focus on the route between Daund and Solapur due to the frequent incidents of train robberies and dacoities. "With the incidents near Lonavla and Saswad, we will have to concentrate on these routes also," Patankar said.

Railway police patrol all important railway stations round the clock. "We have intensified our patrolling, especially during the night," Patankar said. Separate teams to trace the suspects involved in both the incidents have been formed. "We are also verifying whether the same gang struck at both the trains," he added.

Police have started checking criminals on records. "We are taking help from Pune city and Pune rural police," Patankar said.