Railway cops extern 30 repeat offenders in two months

MUMBAI: Train commuters can hope for a safer travel. Aiming to bring down crimes, the Government Railway Police (GRP) has initiated a crackdown against repeat offenders

MUMBAI: Train commuters can hope for a safer travel. Aiming to bring down crimes, the Government Railway Police (GRP) has initiated a crackdown against repeat offenders by initiating preventive action against them.

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The police had externed 12 convicts in the month of September. In August, 18 repeat offenders were barred from entering the city and its neighbouring districts, taking the number of externed people to 30 in the past two months, said officials.

A senior GRP officer said it is an effective step to curb crimes as almost all criminals in railway police’s jurisdiction are repeat offenders. The police will analyse the data to check if the initiative has yielded a positive result.

“We are conducting a detailed study of the repeat offenders operating in the city on the basis of their records. We are categorising them into convicts, charge-sheeted offenders and those who are only booked for offences they allegedly committed. Our current priority is the convicts,” said Niket Kaushik, commissioner GRP.

Even as the convicts are on the radar now, eventually others will also be part of the preventive action, said officials. “As there is a dearth of officers at the level of assistant commissioner of police, we are trying to issue as many externment orders as possible,” added Kaushik.

The primary criteria for externment includes at least two convictions and extensive criminal past of the offender. The list is exhaustive and many are being barred every month by the GRP.

The externees are not allowed to enter Mumbai, Navi Mumbai, Thane, Raigad and Palghar districts and are usually let off in their native place if it is not in the list of barred cities and districts.

The railway police officers said they can keep tabs on such people by involving the local police and the railway police officers of the place where the externed convicts are let off.

While most of the externed convicts do not violate the order, some do return to the city. When they are caught, further action is initiated as per the provisions of law, said officers from the Governmnet Railway Police.

They are also preparing detailed lists of crimes and the offenders to refine their search and curb crimes. This will help them find how many criminals are involved in specific crimes, said sources.