Train Travelers, Beware

by Tarakeswar Dubey

Nov. 26, 2006

Lucknow Railway Station, my nephew was waiting for a train on the platform. There was a family enjoying evening snacks together. A female beggar appeared and begged for food from this family. She was denied initially and was offered with coins instead, but she insisted on the food. After many denials, the family members offered her eatables. Subsequently chewing one Roti, she felt down on the platform and acted fainted. As pre-planned, two Railway Policemen appeared and accused family members for feeding the beggar poison and demanded two thousand rupees to resolve the crisis. First the family argued on this drama, later they surrendered to the police threat and offered 1200 rupees to them. After 15 minutes my nephew saw the same beggar on platform number 2 eyeing for next victim.

Many have experienced the gambling called Teen Patte on the streets and it is frequent in General compartments of trains approaching Siwan junction.

A gang of around 20 well-built musclemen having around six feet height conspire the game and fence the innocents returning with their months of hard earned money from Delhi. The drama concludes by handshaking of these dacoits by Railway policemen on Siwan Junction Platform. My cousin was going to report this incident to the police but before he could do so he witnessed the handshake and realized what a mistake he was going to commit and thanked God that his life was saved. I have even heard of auctions taking place in abandoned mills of Siwan for train dacoity and contract given to the gang with the highest bid.

On railway stations, near ticket counters, you can detect decent dressed persons (mostly women), stand quietly and sometimes advice the buyer about right ticket counters. You might be heartened with their social service and thank them for their one-sided help, but don’t panic if your purse is stolen while you board the train. The main objective of these "social servants" are to monitor the whereabouts of your purse and the best place for it is the ticket window where you are bound to take out and put in the purse. If you are wearing a jeans pant and keeping the purse in the back pocket then you are the most favorite. Most of the times, victims are women as they keep their purse in their hand bags.

I witnessed it on Tatanagar Railway station as my aunt’s purse was stolen from her hand bag while she was boarding the train. I complained and forced GRP to write an FIR. The GRP uninteresting noted down the complaint in a plain paper but for FIR they said it will take three days. Ten days later, I witnessed the same fat lady wearing decent pink color sari and a handbag advising travelers on ticket counters. Seeing this, again I jumped to GRP office and informed about this lady and was told that police will take action on it, but I know nothing will happen as I heard of something 50% share.

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