Burglars don’t seem to have spared even railway stations in their desire to make a quick buck. A series of burglaries have been reported in small railway stations falling within the jurisdiction of Tiruchi Railway Division.
A couple of burglaries were reported in quick succession recently - one at Kattur near Lalgudi and the other at Pennadam with culprits decamping with cash from these two smaller railway stations manned by a clerk-in-charge.
The burglary at Pennadam railway station was daring as the emboldened culprits struck in the afternoon when the lone clerk-in-charge went out for lunch and made away with cash kept inside.
The offence at Kattur station is believed to have been committed in the odd hours with the crime coming to light the next morning when the clerk-in-charge reported for duty. The two instances are the latest in the slew of burglaries reported in the clerk-in-charge stations in the last one-and-half years in the vast jurisdiction of Tiruchi Railway Division encompassing over 10 revenue districts.
Burglars who had been targeting smaller stations manned by clerk-in-charge in the main line section (Villupuram – Tiruchi via Mayiladuthurai and Thanjavur) last year, chose to strike now at stations falling in the chord line section (Villupuram – Tiruchi via Vriddhachalam and Ariyalur).
Sources say burglaries had occurred in 2013 at Pasupathikoil, Swamimalai, Tirunageswaram and Tiruvidaimarudhur railway stations - all of which were manned by clerk-in-charge.
The offences at Kattur and Pennadam stations are the two burglaries having been reported so far in the current year. Cash burgled from these wayside stations ranged from Rs.1, 200 to Rs.3,500.
Consequent to the chain of burglaries last year, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) here had suggested a series of measures to the divisional railway authorities in an effort to thwart such offences including putting in place rolling shutters. The Tiruchi Railway Division alone accounts for 25 clerk-in-charge stations from where the collections are sent to the divisional headquarters through train cash chest regularly.
Majority of these burglaries were reported at these stations in the night hours barring the case of Pennadam, say officials of the RPF which is plagued by manpower shortage. The existing strength was being utilised for various RPF posts, bomb detection squad, special intelligence bureau, crime intelligence bureau and dog squad. The manpower shortage in RPF Tiruchi Division alone was over 180, say the sources.
Railway officials say grill gates were being put up in those clerk-in-charge stations which did not have this facility. Necessary remedial measures were being taken wherever defects were noticed in the door, the officials added.
