After witnessing a number of horrific crimes, including the recent murders of Junaid and Devender on board its trains, the Delhi Division of the Northern Railways has decided to install cameras at 20 stations. Rs 12 crore from the Nirbhaya Fund has been sanctioned for the purpose.
The move has come almost a month after DNA front-paged its exclusive that only 11 out of 232 railway stations in the division have close-circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed.
According to senior railway officers, these 20 stations include Ballabhgarh, where Junaid Khan was lynched while returning home with his brothers and friends after shopping for Eid in June, Palwal, where one youth was killed while another was injured after being thrown off the train on Saturday, and Adarsh Nagar, where a thief was lynched last month.
RN Singh, Divisional Railway Manager (DRM) of the Delhi Division, said, "This is the first time that the Nirbhaya Fund is being used by the Railways. Adequate measures are being taken to secure trains and ensure safety of railway passengers." "As many as 300 trains have a daily presence of Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel. Mapping of crime-prone stretches, stations, and trains has also been done and accordingly, the staff has been deployed to strengthen the vigil and create a deterrence for miscreants."
The DRM said Rs 12 crore has been sanctioned for the Delhi Division, which will be used to install CCTVs at railway stations, and these will include the pan–tilt–zoom (PTZ) cameras. "As many as 573 CCTV cameras will be installed at these 20 stations. They will help the RPF and the GRP maintain a strict vigil at the stations and will also help in criminal investigation, when required," Singh said.
A senior RPF officer told DNA that technical surveillance will assist the short-staffed force effectively. "Ballabhgarh station will get 16 cameras, 25 will be installed at Adarsh Nagar, and 17 at Palwal. These stations have recently witnessed untoward incidents. Apart from these, 74 cameras will be installed at Shakurbasti, 65 at Sabzimandi, 44 at Gurugram, and 40 at Sahibabada stations, among others," the officer said.
THE PLAN
- Ballabhgarh, 16 cameras: Junaid Khan was lynched in June, while returning home after Eid shopping with his brothers and friends.
- Adarsh Nagar, 16 cameras: A man was chased and killed by a mob for stealing Rs 1,500.
- Palwal, 17 cameras: Two youths were thrown off a moving train after an argument over seats.
- Shakurbasti, 74 cameras: A group of men had barged into the Gorakhdham Express and taken cash and valuables from about half-a-dozen passengers at knifepoint.
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