Title - Train molestation case: Short-staffed railway cops throw up their hands

BANGALORE: Tuesday's incident has once again brought the safety of railway passengers to the fore. Railway security personnel, however, claim that security of passengers in South India is not a matter of serious concern, unlike in the North. Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force authorities claim that passengers travelling between Mysore and Bangalore have not felt insecure in trains and no such incident has been reported in the past. With almost every train between the destinations running to full capacity, there is no room for misbehaviour.GRP personnel regularly go on beats in trains to ensure the safety of passengers, while RPF personnel join them only in select trains. Sources in the Railways, however, claim that due to lack of security personnel, they are finding it difficult to ensure security on the trains. An officer claimed there is only a handful of personnel working in the Mysore railway police division, which covers four districts, including Mysore and Mandya. It is difficult to extend security on all trains with the available staff. Personnel are deployed for various work like crime investigation, platform duty, sentry duty, court work, Special Branch work, traffic control as well as for security of passengers. "Since Independence, we have had the same staff strength of three dozen personnel at Mysore railway station," an officer said, regretting the lack of staff to patrol and accompany trains.

"There is a lot for railway authorities to do with regard to the safety of passengers. As a regular passenger, I feel officers should focus more between Mandya and Bangalore on this score," says N Sudeesh, a private firm employee in Bangalore. Says Nethra R of Mysore, "We don't know who to contact whenever we come across an unpleasant situation on the move."

RPF divisional security commissioner, Mysore, PK Mohan Das told TOI that RPF works in coordination with Railway Police to extend security to railway passengers but they send armed security personnel only on select trains.