Hindustan
Times: New Delhi: Monday, 20 October 2014.
Despite
extensive CCTV coverage and heavy security deployment across its premises,
Delhi Metro has witnessed a whopping 2,707 cases of thefts in the past four
years. Ironically though, the police have been able to solve only 483, or less
than 20%, of such cases. Apart from this, there have been 7,000 non-cognisable
reports that have been filed at various Metro police stations, a majority of
which continue to remain unsolved. Police said in 70% of the theft cases, the
stolen items are mobile phones and thieves manage to sell these off almost
immediately.
“The rate of
solving theft cases is very poor in Delhi Metro and in the end it is the
commuters who suffer. Cases of such thefts are only growing, which shows that
the police have failed to crack down on thieves in Delhi’s most reliable mode
of public transport,” said Zishan Haider, director of social organisation
Public Protection Movement, who had filed an RTI to procure information related
to cases of theft inside the Delhi Metro.
Metro has
eight police stations Kashmere Gate, Rithala, Shastri Park, Kalkaji, Yamuna
Bank, Raja Garden, Qutub Minar and Airport.
According to
the response to Haider’s RTI, Kashmere Gate has witnessed the most number of
cases of theft (657 in total) in 2014. In 2013, the number stood at 388 at the same
police station and in 2012 the number of cases registered was 64.
“We have
prepared a list of pickpockets who have been active in Metro to solve more
cases,” said Sanjay Bhatia, DCP (railway).
Another major
problem, which he said could be a reason behind the high number of unsolved
cases, was a severe shortage of staff, a fact that was also highlighted in the
RTI.
“They (The
CISF) don’t have the sanctioned strength and the proposal to induct more
personnel is pending for a long time. Over 25 lakh passengers travel daily in
Delhi Metro and they must feel safe,” said Haider.
Unlike
territorial police stations, the jurisdiction of a Metro police station is
spread over a long distance. For passengers travelling in Metro, lodging a
complaint of their missing items has always been a bad experience.
Apart from
setting up new police stations, the Delhi Police are in the process of opening
police booths at all important Metro stations across the city.
.JPG)
.JPG)
