E-Paper
GRP men running on ?richer? tracks
TWO GOVERNMENT Railway Police (GRP) constables robbed a jeweller of gold worth lakhs. Action was taken against the cops, but the booty is yet to be recovered! Nobody ever bothered to recover it later. Another constable ?managed? his posting with the GRP in Lucknow and Gorakhpur for over 14 years.
TWO GOVERNMENT Railway Police (GRP) constables robbed a jeweller of gold worth lakhs. Action was taken against the cops, but the booty is yet to be recovered! Nobody ever bothered to recover it later. Another constable ‘managed’ his posting with the GRP in Lucknow and Gorakhpur for over 14 years.
During initial days of his service in 1982-84, he used to go on a bicycle and live in a single rented room.
Presently, the constable allegedly owns a palatial house worth over 50 lakh in Alambagh area and goes to office on a luxury car. Sources allege he has invested over Rs 2 crore in property dealing and money-lending business.
The two instances are quite enough to corroborate the fact that the GRP wing of the UP Police is no more a punishment posting but a one of the lucrative postings in the department.
It was two years back only when four cops from Gonda GRP Kotwali not only assaulted the senior railway and RPF officials but also aimed their service firearms at them issuing life threats. They had to run away to escape wrath of the GRP cops. The team comprising RPF and railway officials had gone to collect report about complaints of extortion from the passengers in trains on the route.
The team had caught the GRP men involved in the extortion red-handed. An IG rank officer during his posting with the GRP Headquarters about seven years back had reviewed the service records of the GRP men posted on field duty. The officer then found at least 25 per cent of the character rolls carrying misconduct entry for engaging in insubordination, criminal activities and defying transfer orders. The IG then had submitted a comprehensive report to the DGP Headquarters with a strong recommendation of withdrawing the force from the railways.
The report had then mentioned that the GRP constables deputed on escort duties in trains do not keep vigilance. Instead, the cops are indulging in nefarious activities on the trains. Besides the GRP men hardly keep check on criminal activities in and around the railway stations.
The official had narrated his own experiences as to how the policemen applied influence of politicians to ensure their posting at desired (lucrative) GRP stations. The GRP personnel are responsible for patronising smuggling of drugs, jewellery, garments, electronic goods, costly spices and several other illegal trades in trains. The cops are even known to invest money in these illegal rackets.
The policemen earning abundantly in the wing go to any extent to get their transfer order cancelled.
