13 GRP personnel suspended in 5 months for extorting money from passengers

Mumbai, Sep 8 (PTI) The Government Railway Police (GRP) have suspended 13 personnel, including a senior inspector, in Mumbai and neighbouring Thane in the last five months for extorting money from passengers at stations, officials said on Monday.

It was apparently an organised extortion racket found to be operating at railway stations in and around Mumbai, they said.

The accused particularly targeted long-distance train passengers, who carry valuables and avoid lodging a complaint, at stations like Mumbai Central, Dadar, Kurla, Bandra Terminus, Borivali, Thane, Kalyan and Panvel, a GRP official said.

Their modus operandi was to look for passengers carrying cash or valuables at luggage checking points.

The victims were asked to meet a senior officer and taken to the GRP premises on platforms where there were no CCTV cameras. The passengers were then told to prove the cash or jewellery actually belonged to them, the official said.

Later, the passengers were threatened that their valuables would be seized and they may face legal action. In some cases, they were also assaulted, he said, adding the only way out for the victims was to pay money to those personnel.

Last month, a Rajasthan-based man, who was travelling with his daughter, was allegedly forced to pay a GRP official Rs 30,000 from the Rs 31,000 cash he was carrying in his bag at Mumbai Central railway station, the official said.

After reaching Rajasthan, the victim filed a complaint following which an FIR was registered and transferred to Mumbai, leading to the suspension of three constables, who are now on the run, he said.

GRP Commissioner Rakesh Kalasagar told PTI, "Thirteen personnel have been suspended in the last five months. I took charge in May and after that action was taken against seven personnel, including a senior inspector." He warned of strict action against those indulging in such activities.

Kalasagar appealed to the people to allow checking of their bags only by senior officers in uniform and under CCTV surveillance. PTI ZA GK