Title - Rlys wakes up to help travellers

Railway security officials have compiled an album of criminals who are members of drug-and-rob gangs and are active along Delhi- Agra route Now the security officials will have their details and even the passengers can recognise them in case they come across them To display photos of gang involved in drugging, robbing train passengers
The railway authorities might have upgraded the security in moving trains but it has failed to check the activities of drug-and-rob gangs and prevent people from falling prey to their sedative-laced food.Now taking a unique initiative, the railway security officials have compiled an album of criminals including women and children, who are part of drug-and-rob gangs, and have been active along Delhi and Agra route.A senior railway official said that the authorities have tried lot of measures to check the menace but not much success could be achieved so far in curbing activities of such gangs.“Initially they pasted warning pamphlets, conducted short plays at platforms and carried out strict checking in the train compartments but the crime graph of zehar-khuranis (drug-and-rob gangs) could not be checked,” he added.Under the new initiative, not only the sec urity officials will have their details but the passengers too can recognise them in case they come across any gang member. “The passengers can immediately inform security personnel if a zehar khurani approaches any passenger and offers drug-laced eatables,” said another official.

The record of gang members will be available with the duty officials therefore the victim can identify them and immediate action could be taken against them. There have been several cases in the past but due to non-availability of details, there was difficulty in identifying them and checking the menace.

Recently, a passenger on Jodhpur-bound train from Pune was looted near Ahmedabad by a fellow passenger. The fellow passenger interacted with him for some time and later offered him eatable, after consuming which the passenger fell unconscious. When he gained consciousness, he was at Jodhpur Railway station from where he was rushed to Mahatma Gandhi hospital.

Telling about their modus operandi, another RPF official said gang members, after identifying their target, sit around him and start interaction.

Soon other members of the gang join discussion and one of them offers eatable like cream biscuit, chips or other snacks which makes the target unconscious. And once the target falls asleep, his valuables and cash is taken away and he is left to the mercy of the train staff.