5 RPF Constables caught cornering Railway Seats

5 RPF Constables caught cornering Railway Seats

Surat (ST): Five constables of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) at the Surat railway station were caught red-handed cornering seats in the Surat-Chhapra Tapti-Ganga Express.

They were caught during a surprise checking ordered by the top authorities in the Mumbai Central division of western railway two days ago.

Shailendra Kumar, Divisional Railway Manager, Mumbai Central division of Western Railway who visited the railway station on Thursday ordered departmental inquiry against the constables and the role of the senior officers including the RPF police inspector for not curbing the menace of seat-cornering that has rampant.

Kumar said, “Following complaints from the passengers and other agencies, we conducted surprise checking by a 15 to 20 officials from the Mumbai RPF department. The RPF constables here were found taking money from the passengers travelling to Bihar for the descent seats. We would not allow this anymore at the stations.”

Sources said around 700 to 800 passengers, mainly migrant workers from the city’s textile, diamonds and other allied industries, board the Surat-Chhapra Tapti-Ganga train in the morning to reach their hometowns. Earlier, the coolies were charging money for cornering seats, now the RPF constables have also got involved due to huge amount of income.

“RPF constables charged Rs 300 per seat, while the charges for ensuring a seat in the crowded compartments was Rs 200. The constables first boarded the crowded bogie and then pulled the passengers and got them a seat,” said a senior railway officer.

When contacted, Ashok Naik, police inspector RPF, refused to share the names of the accused constables. “The investigation is going on and we are cooperating” said Naik.