[1]The Railway Protection Force and the Railway police together claim that they have intensified security checks in railway stations considering the Onam rush and also in the wake of the Piravom incident in which a bomb was left on the railway track.
A DC team decided to test the efficiency of the sleuths in railway stations. Here is a first hand report.
“We entered the Ernakulam South Railway Station at 4 p.m. after scuttling the metal detectors and placed a bag on a chair on platform number one. We left the bag there for almost two hours and watched it from a distance, only to ensure it was not flicked away by thieves.
“At 5.50 p.m., we took the bag back, only to prove that the claims made by the railway officials about security measures are nothing but a lot of air. Not even a single khaki-clad soul came anywhere near the bag. Nor was anyone present to ensure the safety of the station.
The railway sleuths may argue that they are short of staff to put a blanket cover over all the railway stations. However, the possibility that anyone could enter railway stations despite the police checks and metal detectors and place a bag without it being noticed, leaves the credibility of the claims in doubt.
Links:
[1] http://archive.asianage.com/27bagjpgcropdisplayjpg-198