Following the clash between students on board the Chennai-Arakkonam EMU, the Government Railway Police (GRP) has arrested 10 students from Pachaiyappa’s College and Presidency College.
The fight, with the students using sharp weapons to attack each other, has left commuters worried about safety on trains and at railway stations, especially in the wake of Infosys engineer Swathi’s murder at the Nungambakkam railway station.
‘Route Thala’ (leader of bus routes) clashes are common among college students on buses plying in the city. Over the past two years, such fights have become common on trains too. “In 2013 and 2014, we arrested around ten students and booked them under 307 IPC (attempt to murder). In 2015, the RPF filed nuisance cases against 17 students,” said a GRP source.
On Tuesday afternoon, the students clashed near the Nemilichery station with knives and stones. A few people were injured in the incident. The Tiruvallur GRP registered an FIR and ten students were arrested. “It is surprising how students are carrying weapons on trains. At this rate, someone will board the train with a gun,” said a commuter.
The problem is more on the MMC-Arakkonam route between 2 p.m. and 3.30 p.m. “The clash occurs whenever there is more strength in one college gang that considers itself the leader of the route. Such fights have happened at the Perambur Loco Works, Annanur, Hindu College and Pattabiram stations earlier. Smaller stations are chosen by the students due to poor police presence,” said a source.
K.S. Gopalakrishnan, former zonal railway users’ consultative committee member, Pattabiram, said such incidents endangered other passengers too. “The students carry the weapons in their backpacks and they can be seized at station entry point itself if there are metal detectors in working condition. CCTV cameras should be installed on trains where such fights occur regularly,” he said.
Besides, he said it was important to counsel such students. College managements and parents are equally responsible for such incidents, he said.
