Government Railway Police (GRP) has intensified vigil at major railway stations falling within the limits of Tiruchi sub division to check offences in platforms and illegal transportation of crackers by trains ahead of the Deepavali festival.
Crime parties have been constituted at Tiruchi, Villupuram, Mayiladuthurai and Vriddhachalam railway stations with a view to warding off theft of passengers’ belongings and to keep criminals at bay.
GRP personnel forming part of the special crime teams would move in plainclothes in their respective railway station and travel in trains randomly in a bid to thwart offences. Each of the crime team would function under the GRP Inspector of the respective station.
The crime teams have been constituted on the instruction of the Additional Director General of Police Railway R. Sekar, a senior GRP officer here said.
Encompassing Tiruchi and Madurai sub divisions, the jurisdiction of the Tiruchi Railway Police District is vast starting from Villupuram and going down south up to Kuzhithurai near Kanyakumari in the north-south direction, and from Nagore to Kodumudi in the east-west direction.
It also has jurisdiction up to Bhagavathipuram railway gate on the Tirunelveli–Tenkasi route and Gomangalam in the Palani – Pollachi route.
With Deepavali round the corner, the movement of rail passengers is expected to increase in the next few days and, hence, an alert has been sounded to the GRP personnel to enhance vigil and check offences in platforms and illegal transportation of crackers by trains, say GRP sources here.
The GRP personnel have also been instructed to initiate criminal action against those found transporting crackers illegally by train. The officer said safety-related pamphlets were being circulated at railway stations by GRP personnel to the travelling public.
In addition to this initiative, awareness boards appealing to the public to desist from carrying crackers by trains had been installed at major railway stations.
