22 railway cops transferred for dereliction of duty after “extortion” video goes viral

PUNE Twenty-two police personnel from the Group Railway Police in Pune have been transferred to Railway Police headquarters after a video posted on social media claimed to show police personnel extorting cash from labourers returning to their home states at the Pune Railway station.

Superintendent of police (SP), Group Railway Police, Pune, Sadanand Wayse Patil, explaining the case, said, “We have registered an FIR against those persons who posted the video, which aims to defame the railway police. There are 72 cameras installed on the railway station is to keep a watch on illegal activities. We believe that the policemen in the video are fake cops. Since our policemen did not take action against these fake cops, we have transferred 22 of them on grounds of negligence.”

MNS corporator Vasant More, who was informed about the extortion video, furnished pictures of it as evidence before senior railway police officers on Wednesday.

More said, “After getting complaints of extortion I personally went to the station as a commoner and investigated the allegations. We submitted photos to the police as proof and appreciate the action.”

Patil added: “If the Railway Police staff does not put an end to this menace more will be transferred. However, defamation of police on social media is wrong. We have lost four policemen to corona and 100 others have contracted the infection while working for commuters.”

To replace the 22 cops transferred, Patil claimed that 50 police personnel have already been brought to patrol the Pune railway station.