Tamil Nadu Railway Police suspect hands of the same gang in a series of train robberies reported in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.
Inspecting the security arrangement at Madurai railway junction on Tuesday, the TRP Inspector General of Police, Seema Agrawal, said that the timing of the robberies, reported from late April till May, suggested that the same gang could have operated first in trains in Andhra Pradesh, then in Tamil Nadu and later in Kerala though there was no link to prove the suspicion.
She said that deployment of armed Tamil Nadu Special Police personnel in all trains including in passenger trains in May had helped in prevention of such robberies. Train escort continued in Chennai-Coimbatore sector. However, it was withdrawn in Tiruchi railway section where the strength of TRP was sufficient to provide necessary security to the passengers.
Following the twin bomb blasts in Chennai Central Railway station on May 1, security in all important railway stations in the State like Chennai Egmore, Chennai Central, Tiruchi, Coimbatore and Madurai, among others, have been beefed up.
“All passengers were being frisked and their luggage checked before being allowed into the railway stations,” she said. The manpower from TRP, Railway Protection Force and local police were being pooled in to step up the security.
Ms. Agrawal, who had met senior railway officials here, said she had urged officials to ask travelling ticket examiners to carry forms enabling passengers lodge complaint on crimes in trains. “Our men have been asked to do so. They have been instructed to register all complaints regarding crimes in trains,” she said.
The IG inspected the platforms one and 6 at the railway junction here. She inspected the functioning of the baggage scanning and door-frame metal detectors at the main entrance. She examined the functioning of the closed-circuit television cameras installed at the station.
She instructed the TRP officials to prepare a comprehensive access control arrangement at the junction to be implemented when required.
