Railways security beefed up for Maoist bandh

October 2, 2009 at 12:39 pm · Filed under In The News and tagged: Jamalpur. munger, Patna

Government Railway Police (GRP) have put all major stations on high alert in the wake of Maoist call for 24-hour bandh in Bihar and other
states from Friday midnight.

Security has been beefed up in all long-distance mail and express trains either passing or originating from Patna Junction. Sniffer dogs have also been pressed into service at Patna Junction, said DIG (railways) Arvind Pandey.

According to Pandey, security has been beefed up at all vulnerable places in the state. Reinforcement is being deployed at all vulnerable points as well as in Maoist-hit areas. Movement of passengers at Patna Junction would also be monitored through CCTV cameras, he said.

The DIG said the Patna-Gaya, Patna-Jhajha, Gaya-Dhanbad and Gaya-Mughalsarai sections are the most vulnerable places. The Kiul-Jamalpur section has also of late been the soft target of Maoists. GRP have tightened the security measures in close coordination with RPF, he said.

Railway bridges are also on the radar of security agencies. A light engine would move ahead of every mail and express train in the vulnerable areas during the bandh. All RPF posts have been asked to remain vigilant and act fast in coordination with the state police, a railway security official said, adding an emergency cell would work round the clock during the bandh.

According to Patna SRP Upendra Kumar Sinha, the GRP personnel escorting trains during night have been directed to search each bogie of the passenger train as well as luggage of the suspects. The GRP personnel would carry out a search operation at all the platforms at Patna Junction. While a door metal detector has been installed at the main gate of Patna Junction, each escort party has been equipped with a hand metal detector, the SRP said.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/news/city/patna/Railways-security-beefed-up-for-Maoist-bandh/articleshow/5080935.cms

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