Title - Police tighten security after Maoist attack

PURULIA : To avoid any repetition of Jamui incident in which Maoists attacked Dhanbad-Patna Intercity Express, the Railway ministry has reportedly decided to tighten security even in the trains running through Junglemahal area during the day, besides intensifying security arrangements during night.  Sources said that the numbers of security forces have been increased in the trains under Adra division of South-Eastern Rail. The Divisional Railway Manager (Adra division) ~ Mr Arvind Kumar Mittal told The Statesman: “Security arrangement is going to be intensified.”
A top official of SE Railway, preferring anonymity, said that according to intelligence sources, a few Maoists had headed towards borders of West Bengal-Jharkhand-Orissa after being by security forces after the Chhattisgarh massacre.The railway administration does not want to take any risk with passengers'  safety, specially after the Jnaneswari Express tragedy in 2010.
A high-level meeting took place a couple of days ago at the office of DRM (Adra Division) to discuss the present situation. In the meeting ~ Additional SP  (Saraikela-Kharsoa), DSP (Headquarter, Bokaro),SDPO (Raghunathpur), Senior Security Commissioner of RPF(Adra Division), IRP (Tatanagar) and police officers of Bankura and Purulia discussed passenger safety after the two recent Maoist attacks.
After the Jnaneswari  incident, many trains running through the Junglemahal area at night were cancelled for around two years due lack of security.
Though those trains are now functional,  the intelligence sources have reportedly alerted the railway administration to take necessary precautions when the panchyat elections are just round the corner.
Sources said that Maoists can choose to attack the trains in the Junglemahal area  during this period.
Besides, the huge area of Bokaro and Saraikela-Kharsoa belongs to the LWE region where trains had already been attacked several times.
Though a section of railway sources said that the ministry is thinking of cancelling the night trains, Mittal truled out any such possibility .
He said that the use of pilot engine is not under consideration at present though security would be alerted for the safety of railway tracks in the division.
The superintendent of police, C Sudhakar said that the district police would extend its assistance.
However, besides increasing security forces in the train an officer would be in the charge of the ‘escort team’.