RailEnquiry

Nagpur: Railway Protection Force (RPF) and Government Railway Police (GRP) are all set to engage in a coordination meeting shortly to thrash out issues between the two different units to ensure better safety of passengers and their properties. Bringing down crimes on Nagpur railway station, among other issues, is likely to take centre stage in the meeting.

The rise in crime on railway stations and trains seems to have left the concerned railway security forces with fresh challenges. Apart from strengthening their own anti-crime mechanisms, RPF and GRP authorities are now also keen to deliberate on synchronized actions to clamp down on miscreants. The top cops from both the units believe that an open interaction will pave way for better understanding of each other’s roles.

RPF’s senior divisional security commissioner, Central Railway, A Ibrahim Sheriff and superintendent of police, (in-charge), GRP, Prakash Jadhav are both gearing up to ensure the coordination meeting ushers a new episode in the relation between the two units engaged in the common objective of security on the railway premises.

RPF’s senior commandant, Sheriff said the meeting would be focused to step up coordination at the grass roots level. “The staffers of either unit should not feel that they are in competition against each other. We have to work leaving behind the disagreements,” said Sheriff. He said that there is steep rise in crime against passengers which has grown by nearly 50%. “Free registration of offences may be one of the reasons behind the bloated crime figure, but we are taking it as a challenge now,” he said. Sheriff said that he is also coordinating with SP Rail (Bhopal).

“RPF and GRP should help each other. If RPF comes across any criminal then the personnel should immediately hand him over to the GRP. The GRP is also expected to inform us about matter that concerns us,” he said.

It’s learnt that RPF and GRP have now taken up the responsibilities of patrolling the outer portions of the Nagpur railway station by sharing the areas. “RPF is also especially focusing on thefts of parcels from small luggage rooms and escorting the trains that run in the night. Rescuing of children is also one our prime focus area,” said Sheriff.

GRP SP Jadhav said he had already invited Sheriff to be present in the railway crime meeting to voice his opinions. “Apart from coordinations, we are also strengthening our local crime branch and detection branch of Nagpur GRP police station,” said Jadhav.