The height of anti-social activities on railway tracks and premises came to light when four students were run over by a speeding train near Sulur, when they were allegedly in an inebriated state according to the police, on the night of November 13.
This was not an isolated incident as 138 persons have been fatally run over by speeding trains this year in the limits of Government Railway Police (GRP) stations at the Coimbatore and Podanur junctions so far. Of them, 122 were men and 16 were women.
Last year, 165 persons - 146 men and 19 women - were killed after hit by speeding trains in the same limits, while the identities of 36 persons killed in 2018 and 37 persons killed this year were not known.
According to A. Annadurai, Deputy Superintendent of Police, GRP-Coimbatore, the deaths on the tracks were spread in four categories such as trespassing, accidents, suicides and accidental fall from train.
“Trespassing into railway tracks were the reason for several deaths. People have also lost lives while carelessly walking on tracks, sometimes talking over mobile phone. GRP have been conducting awareness activities to prevent fatalities and other accidents on railway tracks,” he said.
Incidents of stones and liquor bottles hurled at trains are also worrying the GRP and the Railway Protection Force that takes care of safety of passengers on moving trains and at railway stations.
Nearly ten incidents of stone pelting were reported this year alone in Coimbatore and a few passengers had suffered minor injuries.
Following the deaths of the four students, Coimbatore City Police stepped up open line patrols along the sides of railway tracks at night and booked more than 150 persons who were found involved in anti-social activities.
“Officers attached to all the police stations having railway tracks in their limits have been instructed to step up open line patrols at night. Cases will be registered against persons who are found engaged in anti-social activities and those found in suspicious circumstances,” said L. Balaji Saravanan, Deputy Commissioner Police (Law and Order).
As incidents of stones hurled at trains were reported high between Coimbatore junction and Irugur station, open line patrols would have special focus on the stretch, he said.
Peddling drug like ganja and playing cards for money were reported at deserted areas on the sides of railway tracks, according to police personnel.
S. Sivasankaran, Divisional Security Commissioner, Railway Protection Force, Salem Division, said that the RPF along with the GRP personnel had been conducting awareness programmes in households near the railway tracks to discourage them from indulging in criminal activities.
Noting that those indulged in these activities were mostly between the age group of 14 and 18, he said that these programmes were aimed at explaining the consequences and punishments for such criminal behaviour.
“Awareness will be the permanent solution which will prevent them from committing these acts,” he said.
Apart from awareness programmes, the RPF personnel conducted surprise checks and the GRP personnel would regularly patrol the railway tracks to prevent criminal activities, Mr. Sivasankaran said.
(With inputs from
R. Akileish)
