Nagpur tops in deaths on rail tracks, thefts

Times of India: Nagpur: Wednesday, 26 February 2020.

Nagpur tops the chart in people getting killed while crossing the tracks and also in railway thefts. Trespassing across railway tracks is a punishable offence with a penalty or imprisonment up to 6 months and or fine up to Rs1,000 under Section 147 of the Indian Railways Act.

Information received under RTI Act by activist Abhay Kolarkar from Government Railway Police (GRP) reveals that in the last three years (2017-2019), 59 people died while crossing the tracks under its 126km jurisdiction. Besides, 2,770 cases of thefts were recorded during the same period.

Despite having less kilometrage area under it, Nagpur tops the chart in the region in both the offences in GRP jurisdiction of 1,640km spread across Gondia, Itwari, Nagpur, Wardha, Badnera, and Akola for which information was sought.

In the last three years, overall, 533 passengers met with railway accidental deaths in the above six areas under GRP, while 170 died while crossing the tracks. Besides, 8,086 cases of thefts were recorded in which the stolen material valued over Rs14.89 crore. Of this, valuables in possession of GRP has been valued at over Rs1.89 crore.

The information also reveals that 1,101 cases against all the offences are pending in the courts while 1,297 thieves were nabbed and 1,141 being jailed after prosecution.

Nagpur has been closely followed by Wardha where 47 people died while crossing the tracks in last three years. Its jurisdiction is spread in 363km.

The information also reveals that more number of theft cases have been reported from stations where inflow of passengers is more. After Nagpur, Akola with having its jurisdiction in 316km, has recorded 2,087 cases of thefts.

Kolarkar says even as number of theft cases are high in areas like Nagpur (2,770), Akola (2,087) and Badnera (1,413), the detection rate seems to be dismal. Number of criminals arrested in Nagpur was 301, followed by 203 in Akola and 167 in Badnera.