Times of India: Nagpur: Monday,
January 30, 2017.
More number
of people die while falling from trains than those dying in train accidents due
to derailments, it seems.
Information
sought under the RTI Act by city activist Abhay Kolarkar from Government
Railway Police (GRP) headquarters reveals that in the last three years, from
January 1, 2013 to December 25, 2016, 4,247 persons have died after falling from
trains at Nagpur and other reasons at 16 stations under it.
However, if
Indian Railways data is considered, in the last six-year period between 2009-10
and 2014-15, there were 803 accidents killing 620 people and injuring 1,855.
Even if a fatality figure of around 200 passengers is added in three railway
accidents during the past two months, it comes to 1,000 passengers. Most of
these accidents were due to derailment of trains.
The
jurisdiction of Nagpur-based GRP is biggest in the country and is spread in
3,687km. It covers 23 districts in Vidarbha, Marathwada, and Khandesh.
RTI further
reveals that Bhusawal tops the chart with 599 deaths followed by Nagpur (575)
and Manmad (458). According to GRP sources, while most of the deaths are
accidents, it may also include those found dead at stations and suicides aboard
trains.
On an another
query on number of accused caught and material seized from them, GRP has said
during the three-year period 2,184 accused were arrested and material worth
Rs2.68 crore has been seized. Most of the accused have been nabbed from Aurangabad,
Bhusawal, Nagpur and Manmad stations indicating these stations were vulnerable
to thefts.
The RTI also
reveals that during the last three years, 2,759 offences were registered
against culprits and 1,906 cases were solved while 853 offences are still to be
solved.
Kolarkar says
barring five police stations under the GRP jurisdiction, 19 murder offences
have also been registered at 11 stations in which 43 accused have been
arrested.
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