Rail crimes: Govt proposes online registration of FIRs

With jurisdictional issues hampering efforts to deal with railway crimes, government today proposed online registration of FIRs and changes in law to ensure "seamless security" of the national transporter which is a "soft target" of Maoists and terrorists.
To enhance security on trains, the Railways also decided to allocate two berths on each side of the coaches to ex-army personnel.
Home Minister Rajnath Singh, while addressing a function here, noted that there are "complexities" involved in the railway security system which need to be looked into.
He did not elaborate but was apparently referring to jurisdictional aspects because of which railway crimes cannot be dealt with properly.

"Law and order is primarily the (individual) states' responsibility. Complaints can be registered online and they can be referred to the state concerned for investigations to be expedited," he said at a conference on railway security.
Noting that there are issues which stand in the way of providing "seamless security" to passengers, Railway Minister Suresh Prabhu strongly favoured changes in the law to ensure better policing of railway premises although such a move is being opposed by the states.

Referring to the involvement of multiple agencies, he said there is a need for achieving "seamless security" as Government Reserve Police (GRP), Railway Protection Force (RPF) and state police are involved in protection of the railway premises.

GRP is under the control of state governments while RPF is under the Ministry of Railways.
"I have written to all the chief ministers to take up the issue for providing seamless security. We have to address the issue," Prabhu said.