In a bid to curb crime at railway stations, the Kozhikode Railway Special Judicial Magistrate Court has initiated two novel programmes. One of them is a mobile court or ‘Court on Wheels’ to take up petty cases from railway stations in Kozhikode to Mangalore and the other is to organise camp courts.
As part of ‘Court on Wheels,’ a portion of a coach of a moving train will be converted into a court and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel attached to the Kozhikode, Palakkad, Mangalore and Kannur units can submit cases. In fact, it was the success of a mobile court held in February that has prompted the authorities to conduct this once in every month.
On the earlier occasion, a part of the first-class coach of the Chennai-Mangalore Express was converted into a courtroom from 8 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. Magistrate B.M. Assu, who was in the chair, considered 75 cases on that day. Most of these pertained to unauthorised vending, ticketless travel, and causing nuisance in the train. One of the accused was sent to jail for two weeks and another was fined Rs.500 for causing nuisance and disturbing other passengers.
Camp courtsAlso, camp courts will be organised at different stations. Last week, sittings were held in Kasaragod and Kannur stations in which 224 cases were disposed. Four persons were convicted for mischief and travelling without tickets and fine to the tune of Rs.51,750 was collected from the offenders. The court plans to hold such camps in major centres under its jurisdiction.
But staff shortage is affecting the functioning of the RPF in Kozhikode. The total sanctioned strength is 47, including a Circle Inspector, a Sub Inspector and two Assistant Sub Inspectors. But the post of Sub Inspector has been remaining vacant. This unit has to man the railway stations from Tirur in Malappuram district to Vadakara in Kozhikode district.
There is also an RPF outpost with eight personnel led by an Assistant Sub Inspector at Tirur station. Personnel are deployed from the Kozhikode unit to the stations at Tanur, Parappanangadi, Feroke Koyilandy and others. In case of emergency, personnel are deployed from the Palakkad railway division. The shortage of staff affects the operation of the force during hoax calls and other threats at the stations.
(Reporting by Biju Govind)
