A solar-powered CCTV camera installed near Bengaluru’s Banaswadi railway station to monitor stone-pelting on passing trains has gone missing, raising immediate concerns about the security of surveillance equipment placed along railway tracks. South Western Railway officials suspect the camera was damaged or removed by miscreants, and the Railway Protection Force has registered a case.
The camera had been installed only a few months ago along a stretch where passengers had frequently reported stones being thrown at trains. It was positioned to strengthen monitoring of vulnerable sections of the railway line and help identify people involved in such incidents.
Regular commuter Pruthvin Reddy said he had noticed CCTV cameras near the tracks outside Banaswadi station for the previous three to four months. When he passed the area about a week ago, he found that one of the cameras was no longer on its pole.
“I had been seeing CCTV cameras for the past three to four months, near the tracks outside Banaswadi railway station. When I passed by last week, I noticed one of them was missing. It had also been installed at a very low height, making it relatively easy to access,” Reddy said.
The missing unit was among 21 cameras installed at different locations across Bengaluru as part of railway surveillance efforts aimed at addressing stone-pelting on trains. The equipment is solar-powered, allowing it to operate at locations where a conventional electrical connection may not be readily available. The report does not specify whether the camera had recorded any incident before it disappeared or whether footage from nearby systems is available.
Stone-pelting on trains can endanger passengers and railway staff, particularly when trains are moving through densely populated areas. Surveillance cameras are intended to provide railway authorities and security agencies with evidence to identify offenders and respond to incidents reported along the tracks. The disappearance of one such camera creates a separate security concern because the equipment itself is located in an exposed railway environment.
According to South Western Railway officials, the camera may have been damaged by miscreants. The complaint was filed by the senior section engineer (signal), after which the RPF at Byappanahalli registered a case. The available report does not state when the camera was last found in place, whether any suspect has been identified, or whether a replacement has been installed.
The case will determine how the camera disappeared and whether it was removed, damaged or stolen. Railway authorities’ next steps include the investigation by the Byappanahalli RPF and action on the complaint filed by the railway signal engineering department.
