After fatal snatch incident, GRP forms special patrol teams

CHENNAI: In the aftermath of the death of a young woman from the injuries she sustained from a fall at Indra Nagar Railway Station after two men snatched her mobile phone on July 2, Government Railway Police (GRP) has formed a special patrol team to add security along the MRTS (Mass Rapid Transport System) service lines.

The special patrol team will comprise of 15 personnel headed by a Sub-Inspector (SI). Members of the patrol team will be stationed at platforms and will travel in trains during office hours and in night hours.

Apart from this, another team comprising five woman constables have been deployed for the safety of women in MRTS trains, an official added.

The MRTS service, which plies between Velachery and Beach Railway Stations covers 17 railway stations and has an average patronage of two lakh passengers in a day, according to railway police.

Regular commuters have long complained about the lack of safety in the MRTS stations.

R Preethi of Kandhanchavadi, who fell off Indira Nagar railway station on July 2, after two men snatched her phone, succumbed to her injuries at a hospital on Saturday (July 9).

Government Railway Police (GRP) arrested two men - Vignesh (27) of Foreshore estate and Manimaran of Adyar (19).

Preethi was working as an accountant at a private firm, and had boarded a train from Kotturpuram to reach Tiruvanmiyur.

When the train reached Indira Nagar railway station, the accused had snatched her mobile phone when she was standing near the footboard, and in the melee, she fell onto the platform. GRP-Thiruvanmiyur had initially registered a case of 'accidental fall' and moved her to a hospital as police were informed about a woman lying unconscious on the platform.

Police investigations revealed that the accused sold the phone to a fish vendor, S Raju (29) of Besant Nagar for a mere Rs 2000.