[cefunonge]

Coimbatore railway police has strengthened vigil in three trains originating from Coimbatore and bound for Chennai, after identifying them as more “crime prone” than other trains.

The move comes in the wake of frequent incidents of bag lifting, pocket picking and thefts in the three trains.

“We have deployed more security personnel in Nilgiri Express (Blue Mountain), Kovai Express and Yercaud Express to
ensure a safe journey for the passengers. Security has been strengthened specifically in these trains, as more crimes tend to happen because of the high volume of passengers in them,” railway police inspector Lawrence said.

Three railway police personnel will guard these trains from the originating point to the destination.

“They will conduct frequent checks in the coaches and look out for any suspicious or unauthorised material in the compartments,” he said.

Lawrence said that earlier there was just one policeman guarding the trains, that too as a cut beat system — the cop would alight where the jurisdiction ends. “Cops of the next area would take up patrolling until the final point,” he said.

He said that 15 cases of chain-snatching, pocket picking, bag lifting and thefts in trains were registered with Coimbatore railway police in 2010.

“The number of such incidents in trains reported increased slightly to 20 last year, mostly in these three trains,” he said.

-dc chn