Mumbai GRP wants cameras in TC rooms, railway booking offices

MUMBAI: The Government Railway Police (GRP) has demanded cameras in TC rooms and booking offices at all stations between Santacruz and Bandra after instances of extortion and molestation were reported there recently.

Last week, three ticket checkers were booked for extortion charges from a first-class commuter at Bandra station but they couldn't be identified due to the absence of camera footage.

On December 17, Akhira Chakrasena, a Santacruz resident, was travelling between Lower Parel and Bandra stations on a Western Railway local. Around 4.45pm, he got off the train at Bandra station where a ticket checker asked him to produce his ticket. Chakrasena flashed his first-class season pass and moved ahead. A little further, another ticket checker asked Chakrasena to produce his ticket. The commuter explained that he had already shown his first class pass to a TC. He then asked this TC to produce his identification. This irked the TC who took Chakrasena to the TC room and, along with two colleagues, extorted Rs 4000 from him. A receipt for about half the amount was given to Chakrasena who was also verbally abused. He subsequently registered a complaint with the Bandra GRP.

In a letter written to the Bandra station manager on Monday, senior inspector Sunil Jadhav gave details of the extortion case. He also mentioned a complaint of molestation filed against a booking supervisor by his female colleague at Bandra and a case of assault filed by a booking clerk from Santacruz against three unruly passengers. Jadhav stated that in the absence of CCTV footage, verification of complaints and a thorough probe was proving to be difficult. “We want cameras to be installed at all railway offices at Santacruz, Khar, Bandra and Bandra Terminus,” said Jadhav.

In the past also, GRP has written to the railways demanding installation of cameras after clashes between passengers and ticket checkers in TC rooms. But the railways haven't made any move yet.