The Gavankars

Friday, January 14, 2005

Railway authorities are playing with commuter safety

Following incident describes how Railway police are playing with the
safety of the passengers:

Today (14-01-2005) I was traveling with my fellow passengers from Vasai
Road station to Churchgate in western Railway train which starts from
Vasai Road at 7.18 A.M.We fellow passengers noticed 4 suspicious looking
unclaimed plastic bags on the luggage racks above our heads.

As an informed and responsible citizen I went to the motorman of the
train (Name unknown) and informed him about those unclaimed bags, He
came and saw the bags and promised us to call Railway Police from Vasai
Road Railway police station. After that 20 minutes the train was
standing on Vasai Road Platform but no one turned up either from
Railway’s side or from Railway Police side. Train started from Vasai and
we felt uncomfortable with those mysterious bags as anything could have
been in those.

Hence from my mobile,I dialed 100 in order to get help from police
control room.The call was routed to Ulhas Nagar control room somehow and
when I narrated the incident to the constable on phone he expressed his
inability to help in this matter and told us to get in touch with Thane
Rural control room and gave us the number.(022-25342784).I told the
constable on duty in Ulhas Nagar control room, to inform himself but he
was not of any help.

Then I called on Thane Rural Police control room number which I got from
Ulhas Nagar Police. Constable Mr.Munaf (Bakkal Number 185 ) received my
call and patiently listened to all incident. He also noted down my all
details and my complaint and promised me to forward my complaint to
Bhyculla Railway Police control room.He also forwarded the complaint and
gave me complaint number as 23081725

Though Thane rural police informed Bhyculla control room,No one came to
investigate till Churchgate.I just received calls from Constable Munaf
that he was following up with Bhyculla Police.Bhyculla Police called me
when Train was at Charni Road and promised to send someone at
Churchgate.At last I had to again contact Churchgate Railway Police and
sort out the Matter.

PSI Patil and Constable Sadigle who were on duty at Churchaget station
promptly helped us as we discovered that the bags were just trash bags.

But the pleasant surprise was ,I got a call from PSI D.R.Salunkhe,Thane
Rural Control room, asking me the status of their effort to help me.

I felt really glad that though Railway Police misbehaved and have not
understood the seriousness of such unclaimed luggage on a public
place,Thane Rural Police helped me to solve my complaint.

I must appreciate the help given by PSI Salunkhe and Constable Munaf
from Thane Rural Police Control Room and PSI Patil and Constable Sadigle
from Churchgate station.

There are some questions which arise from this whole scenario:

1.Why the motorman started train from Vasai itself when he himself knew
that there was suspicious and unclaimed baggage?

2.Why Vasai Road railway police attended the train there itself when it
was standing there for nearly 20 minutes?

3.Why Ulhas Nagar Control room took the lead and informed concerned
authorities rather than telling us to call Thane Rural Police?

4.Even if Thane Rural police informed Bhyculla Control about this
baggage,when the train was at Bhayander,why no one came and checked the
train in between stations and why it was allowed to ply till Churchgate
for another one hour?

5.LASTLY WHAT WOULD HAVE HAPPENED IF THE BAGGAGE WAS A BOMB ?WHO WOULD
HAVE PAID FOR THE NEGLIGENCE OF THE RAILWAY POLICE AT VASAI AND THE
MOTORMAN OF THE TRAIN?

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to Post Comments [Atom]

<< Home