Forty-nine-year-old Raj Kumar Gupta, who runs a small business in Delhi, was on his way to Okhla in a local train on the Delhi-Mathura route around 10 p.m. on Sunday when a man armed with a knife snatched his mobile phone. Mr. Gupta, who has been commuting on the route for almost two decades, thought it wise not to oppose.
It was on the same route this past week that Junaid, a teenager returning home after shopping for Id, was stabbed to death and his two brothers were injured by a group of men in a crowded coach. The incident sparked concerns over lack of security in the locals trains running on the Delhi-Mathura route.
‘Routine affair’
“Snatching, pick-pocketing and robberies in local trains on the Delhi-Mathura route are routine. Pick-pockets usually travel in groups in the trains,” said Mr. Gupta.
“One of them picks an argument with the target, and immediately the other gang members also get embroiled in it while surrounding the passenger. Before the person knows it, the gang make off with his wallet, phone and other valuables,” said Mr. Gupta, adding that travelling during the night was even more dangerous.
“There are hardly any policemen in local trains. Even if a call is made to the helpline number, they never reach in time,” he complained, adding that the criminals are usually in their 20s and target passengers who are travelling with women.
Dinesh Shukla, a resident of Sahibabad who usually takes the train with his wife, said: “I have been travelling daily on this route for the past one month, but have never spotted a policeman. The situation is far better on the Delhi-Sahibabad route where the police are visible.”
Rekha, a vendor who sells eatables in local trains, said the two coaches reserved for women in every local train are always occupied by men, leaving the women no space to even stand properly.
“The police are nowhere to be seen,” added Rekha.
Noor Mohammad, a labourer, said the Junaid incident had rattled commuters, especially those belonging to the minority community, and now the passengers felt the need for increased security in the coaches.
‘Need more staff’
A Railway Protection Force (RPF) official posted at Old Faridabad Police Station conceded that instances of men travelling in women coaches in local trains was rampant, but the force did not have adequate staff for full-time deployment in the coaches.
“It is not possible to deploy staff in each women coach due to acute shortage of manpower, but we do carry out checks in women coaches when the trains halt at the railway station. We have so far caught 1,274 people on the Delhi-Palwal route this year for various offences, including travelling in women coaches,” said the Assistant Sub-Inspector-level official, not willing to be identified.
Haryana Railway Police Superintendent of Police Kamal Deep Goyal said that there was a shortage of staff, but 18 more personnel, including 10 ex-servicemen, were deployed on the route.
“We have also been demanding in our meetings with Railway officials that CCTV cameras be installed at all railway stations on the route, but it has not happened so far. We are told that the RPF will get a share of Nirbhaya Fund next year and it will be used to install cameras at these stations,” said Mr. Goyal.
