In a joint operation to flush out non-handicapped passengers from coaches reserved for the handicapped, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the Government Railway Police (GRP) has caught policemen travelling in them. On Monday, two policemen were found using the coaches reserved for handicapped commuters, but were freed after paying a fine.
In all, 29 police personnel have been charged for illegally travelling in the reserved coaches on the Central Railway from July 1 to July 14. The RPF and GRP has discovered a large number of policemen encroaching upon the spaces reserved for the handicapped, inconveniencing them. They, however, preferred to pay the fine, rather than face any further litigation. RPF officials have taken photocopies of their ID cards, the fine receipt, and plan to notify their respective departments of the misconduct to curb this.
Alol Bohra, senior divisional security comissioner of the RPF Mumbai, said, “I have written letters to the deputy commissioners of the city police from Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Bhiwandi and Ulhasnagar, informing them of the misconduct by their men. I have tried to draw their attention to it, and am hopeful that the senior authorities will take suitable action.” He added that similar letters had been sent to the GRP authorities and his own department. Neither PRO of the Mumbai Police Satyanarayan Chaudhary, nor police commissioner, Satyapal Singh have responded yet. The Railway authorities are constantly bombarded with complaints from the passengers about the misconduct of the city police, who have been travelling illegally, as well as intimidating handicapped passengers. The RPF chose to respond by launching an eviction drive, starting on July 1. In total, 1,285 people have been prosecuted, including 29 members of the city police. Four have been sent to jail, and `2.95 lakh has been collected in fines.