After 17 hoax calls were received by various railway stations in Mumbai alone, the Central Railway’s (CR) railway police has launched a booklet for its workforce with pointers on how to monitor commuters better at entry and exit points while using metal detectors, hand-held detectors and X-Ray baggage scanners.
Although officers and constables on the Railway Police Force (RPF) are physically trained on how to use technology on a regular bases and a lot of new technology is being used, the booklet will serve a refresher course as well as remind the officers on the field about what exactly to keep in mind when checking baggage and persons on important stations. An officer, on the condition of anonymity, revealed that there are simple things that are forgotten while on the job, “For example, if a foul or suspicious smell is coming off a piece of luggage, our officer check it themselves — but, according to the rules, we are supposed to immediately call for the dog squad and let them do the work,” said the officer.
Among the 17 hoax calls that were made to the CR in the past year, five were made in the month of January alone.
“The calls became frequent in the run up to Republic Day, so alertness while checking baggage etc has become even more vital,” added the official.
This also comes after a liquid bomb was located in a Varanasi to Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus train at Manikpur station located in the state of Utttar Pradesh, putting the railway in the city on high alert.
