The Government Railway Police (GRP) has started deploying increased security forces to over 50 trains that pass through Pune from the night of Friday. This drastic decision was taken after there were two armed robberies that have taken place in less than 48 hours in the past days.

Superintendent of police (GRP) Pratapsinh Patankar has said that the crime rates in the trains have increased to an alarming rate and the drought in could be a major reason for the increase.

He also added "Providing security to the170 trains that travel through the jurisdiction of GRP every day is not practical. The security would be provided by the Government Railway Police and the Railway Protection Force (RPF).

The focus of the security would be more on the general compartments. There are over 40 positions in the GRP that are presently vacant and 67 people are in their training. Patankar said that within an year all the 67 would be in the force.

Earlier the crime incidents were frequent in the  Daund and Solapur route but with increasing crime on the Lonavla and Saswad routes they should be also concentrated now, he said.

Patrolling at nights has already been intensified. Tracing the suspects is done by a special force."We are taking help from Pune city and Pune rural police, and trying to find if both the incidents were caused by the same gang " Patankar said.

(AW- Anil)