RPF to soon handle crimes on trains

The Railway Protection Force will soon be able to register and investigate cases in the railway installations, which has for long remained in the sole ambit of the Government Railway Police (GRP). 

Since policing in the railways is a state subject, cases of crimes that occurred in railway premises as well as on running trains are registered and investigated by GRP, a separate wing of the state police. However, RPF supplements the efforts of the GRP in maintaining law and order in railway installations and 50% cost on GRP is shared by the railways. 

Apart from this, the concerned district police is entrusted with the responsibility of securing railway tracks, bridges and tunnels putting in place a three-tier security system. 

“To ensure effective passenger security, the Railway Ministry has submitted a proposal to the government to empower RPF to register and investigate passenger-related criminal offences,” a senior railway official said. He added the ministry has sought for an amendment in the RPF Act, 1957 to enable this.

In furtherance to this, opinions of the state governments have been received by the Ministry and the proposal is under consideration. 

“Presently, even if cases of crime in railways were detected by the RPF they have to handover the case to the GRP but when the amendment is made, the RPF can register and investigate the case independently,” the official said. 

“The main advantage of empowering the RPF to register and investigate the cases is that passengers will not be put to any inconvenience, as in the present system cases has to be transferred from one agency to the another as policing in the railways is a state subject,” the  official informed.