Jamshedpur : After a high-profile burglary accused from Duronto Express from Tatanagar railway station on Monday evening exposed loop holes in the security system at the railway station, the administration has decided to increase surveillance system.
Though the safety and security of commuters are a top priority for the railways, the increasing instances of crimes and anti-social activities on running trains is posing a serious challenge to the efforts of the railways in providing out-of-harm’s-way journey to the passengers. To address security concerns and create confidence among travellers, railways has introduced several measures harnessing cutting-edge technology. Providing a state-of-the-art surveillance system on station premises is one such move.
The railway has planned to enhance Integrated Security System (ISS) with CCTV Surveillance System.
The ISS comprises of CCTV surveillance system with IP-based cameras; Under Vehicle Scanning System (UVSS) for 18 entries / exits at nine major stations; personal and X-ray baggage screening system; and explosive detection and disposal system for the bomb detection squads at all major stations. The salient features of the CCTV surveillance system are � facility for recording and playback; storing of video data for 30 days; video analytics such as intrusion detection, left object detection, and over crowding.
However the CCTV cameras installed at the Tatanagar station has been of poor quality that led the accused in the Rs 1 crore gold jewellery burglary case escape.
A 28-year-old youth, Mohammed Rahat, who was wanted in a gold burglary case under the Virar police station area in Mumbai on June 31, 2015, escaped from the custody of a team from Mumbai police. The police officials led by inspector, Sandeep Shiuli was taking to toilet aboard the Mumhai-Howrah Duronto Express at the Tatanagar station. The burglary had taken place in the night of June 31, 2014. Mohammed Rahat was caught in another robbery case registered with the Thane police station area on April 1 2015.
During interrogation, Rahat had divulged before the police that he was also involved in the June 2014 burglary in which they had taken away gold jewellery worth over Rs 1 crore of jewellery. The jewellery shop owner, Babuchand Soni had also accompanied the police team. Babuchand said the burglars had decamped with the jewellery by cutting the iron grill using a gas-cutting equipment in the night of June 31, 2014.
Railway officials said that the CCTV cameras have been installed at five platforms, entry/exit points and reservation counters. The entire project cost entailed an investment of around Rs 1.5 crore.
In all 25 CCTV cameras have found perch atop the main station building, entrance, waiting area besides platform Nos. 1, 2 and 3. The highly efficient 5-6 pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) cameras have been put up at the entry, exit points and crowded places like the ticket counters.
Tatanagar station witnesses a daily traffic of over 90 mail, express and passenger trains, besides a footfall of 60,000 passengers. Railway sources said that CCTV cameras are also being installed at two other railway stations under Chakradharpur division–Rourkela and Chakradharpur. The gadets would start functioning by the end of this month.