Bokaro Government Railway Police have intensified checks at Bokaro railway station and on trains during the Chhath travel rush, targeting passenger thefts and the movement of marijuana consignments. The operation follows increased bookings and passenger footfall, as well as the seizure of 41kg of marijuana over the past eight months.
Bokaro GRP officer-in-charge P K Tiwari said most of the seized marijuana was recovered from trains arriving from Odisha. Four cases have been registered in connection with the seizures, including three recoveries from the Dhanbad-Alappuzha Express and one from the Dhanbad-Bhubaneswar Express. No arrests have been made in these cases, according to Tiwari.
Police suspect that smugglers load marijuana consignments in Odisha and transport them by train to different destinations. GRP teams have increased surveillance and checks to identify suspicious luggage and intercept illegal consignments during the period of heightened passenger movement.
The security drive also covers thefts reported by passengers on the route. Stolen items have included trolley bags, mobile phones and tablets. Bokaro GRP has registered 28 cases involving different offences this year, with theft accounting for a significant share, according to the report.
Seven theft FIRs have been registered this year, of which two have been solved. The police said no theft cases had been reported from Rajdhani and Shatabdi Express trains, while most complaints involved passengers travelling in sleeper-class coaches.
The latest theft case was registered on Thursday after Nutan Devi alleged that her purse, containing a gold locket and a silver coin, was stolen while she was travelling on the Hatia-Patliputra Express. The case adds to concerns over the security of personal belongings during busy boarding, deboarding and overnight journeys.
Tiwari appealed to passengers travelling during Chhath to remain alert and keep their belongings secure. He advised passengers not to leave valuables unattended, particularly while boarding or getting off trains and while sleeping. The increased checks are being carried out at the station and onboard trains as passenger movement rises during the festival period.
