Ludhiana: Free pass to miscreants as luggage detector lying defunct at railway station

The only security check is a railway police constable at the entrance with a hand-held metal detector

The biggest railway station in the state, Ludhiana Junction, continues to operate sans any mechanism to scan and check the baggage of passengers. Despite an imminent security threat to the passengers, the luggage scanner here has been out of service for around six months now.

In the absence of a functional luggage scanner, the only security check at the station is a railway police constable at the entrance with a hand-held metal detector. (HT photo)

Over 200 trains operate from the station and around 50,000 passengers move through it. The only security check is a railway police constable at the entrance with a hand-held metal detector.

Officials passing the buck

The divisional railway manager of Ferozepur, when asked about the machine passed the question to be asked to the divisional security commissioner (DSC).

The maintenance contract for the machine had expired some time ago, but the DSC refused to comment on the issue saying that he was unaware of the specific dates. A police official at the station, however, said that the machine was out of service ever since it was shifted from the old entrance.

The station is undergoing redevelopment since six months and the old building was demolished to make way for new one. The Ludhiana Police along with the Railway Police conducted a special checking at the station on Tuesday. ACP Rupinder Kaur Sra said the machine was working just a week ago, a fact other officials at the station denied. She said she would inquire about the machine.

Easy transit route for drugs

The station regularly sees smuggling of illicit substances like opium and ganja.In December, 2023, the Railway Police had arrested a peddler smuggling drugs via trains and seized 21 kg ganja and 12 kg opium from his possession. These seizures were the result of random police check, which are only carried out occasionally. However, the fact that the accused was able to carry such massive amount of drugs on the premises, highlights the immediate need of a luggage scanning mechanism at the entrance itself. A police official, on the condition of anonymity, said that it was possible that illicit substances are being taken through the station as there were no mandatory checks.

The DSC said, “We have finalised a new maintenance contract and the machine will be operational soon.”

However, he did not mention a tentative date or deadline for the same.