Western Railway’s RPF Launches Operation Yatri Suraksha, Apprehends 460 Culprits

Surat : Western Railway’s (WR) Railway Protection Force (RPF) employees caught 460 people engaged in passenger theft crimes using CCTV surveillance cameras under Operation Yatri Suraksha from January to July 20th, 2023.

RPF personnel are constantly on the front lines to safeguard and secure passengers’ lives. RPF WR has started Operation Yatri Suraksha, in which the RPF apprehends offenders engaged in passenger-related offences like as theft and robbery and transfers them to the GRP for further legal prosecution.

Sumit Thakur, Chief Public Relations Officer of Western Railway stated that RPF has made a particular effort with the support of criminal intelligence to curb the threat of passenger items theft in both suburban and long-distance trains. Western Railway has installed 3897 CCTV cameras, including 488 cameras with integrated Facial Recognition System (FRS) that holds data about offenders as well as their photographs, which are posted in the system to limit crimes against passengers. From January 2023 to July 2023, WR’s RPF arrested 460 people in connection with passenger-crime incidents, including the current five instances in which the accused were detained in only two days.

Thakur went on to say that on July 20, 2023, the Crime Prevention and Detection Squad (CPDS) at Andheri Post detained an accused called Karim Shakir Shah (aged 42 years) after analysing CCTV video. The criminal acknowledged to stealing a cell phone worth Rs. 8,500 and disclosed his participation in three other similar incidents in different places during interrogation. On the same day, the CPDS team used CCTV evidence to detain another suspect called Sharufddin Shumshu Sayyed (25 years old). The perpetrator admits to stealing the Rs. 20,000 cell phone. During further interrogation, he admitted to being involved in five additional IPC and NDPS Act cases recorded at the Andheri and DN Nagar Police Stations.

On 20.07.2023, the Palghar Post CPDS squad caught a thief red-handed while trying to pick pocket a passenger. Vijay Sukur Pawar (27 years old) was apprehended stealing articles valued Rs. 13,300. The suspect acknowledged to being involved in another theft, this time of a cell phone worth Rs. 16,000 (of IPC registered at GRP/Palghar). Similarly, on 19.07.2023, the Surat Post CPDS team captured an accused called Zabir Satar Shaikh (aged 20 years) red-handed attempting to steal a cell phone worth Rs. 14,000. The perpetrator was turned over to GRP/Surat for further legal action.

A thief called Vishvanath Singh (aged 23 years) was captured and imprisoned by RPF officers stationed at Surendranagar station in Rajkot Division. During questioning, the suspect admitted to taking two mobile phones valued Rs. 32,500 and Rs. 4,000 in cash.  He was subsequently turned over to GRP/Rajkot for further legal proceedings.