RPF throws train racket off track

Gang slowed down trains, ferried stranded travellers to vehicle for a fee

The Railway Police Force (RPF) has caught three members of a gang who deliberately slowed down outstation trains by pulling their alarm chains and then transported passengers who had missed their train, back to the vehicle for a fee of Rs 2, 000 to Rs 4, 000.

According to the RPF, the gang operated out of Bandra Terminus and had men inside trains like the Garib Rath. Meanwhile, other members of the gang scouted for passengers who might have missed the train at Bandra Terminus.

According to Western Railway’s RPF officials, the gang mostly targeted passengers of the Garib Rath. The gang members waited at the platform once the train left, looking for anyone who seemed to be either asking whether the train had left or were running to catch it.

The gang members used to bait stranded passengers with the promise that they could still catch the train if they wanted, but that it would come at a price of Rs 2,000 to Rs 4,000. After the amount was agreed to by both parties, a gang member would call other members in the train, who would be scattered across two or three coaches. They would then start pulling the chain continuously one after the other and make sure the train was delayed by as much time as possible. The passenger would then be taken in taxi from Bandra to Borivli, flouting all traffic rules in order to make it in time for the train’s next halt at Borivli.

The WR’s senior divisional security commissioner, Anand Vijay Jha, said, “Yes, we have indeed detected this case, we had to work a little hard as these people had also roped in a taxi driver to help them with this. We will continue to monitor the situation,” he said.

The Borivli RPF post had gotten a tip-off after successive chain pulling incidents were being reported in this train and no actual passenger would turn up with a problem. The accused were finally caught in an undercover operation at Borivli station itself last week. They have been identified as Sami Ahmed, Sohail Ahmed, Rajmani Morya and Shabbir Dohadh, the taxi driver.

Officials also said that if need be the accused would also transport the passenger to Borivli on a motorbike as well.