RPF Recovers Stolen Property Worth 2.97 Crores, List Includes Toilet Mugs and Even Railway Tracks

If you ever wondered why a steel mug is tied in an Indian Railways' train toilet, the answer is simple: To protect it from theft. Ludicrous as it may sound, the humble toilet steel mug is one of the highest stolen items from within the train. The list goes on: From ceiling fans to blankets, pillows, linens, the window iron grills, are all things that are stolen from the Indian trains. If you thought that this was it, hold your breath. In a number of places, there have been incidents where even the railway tracks, yes, the mighty railway tracks have also been burgled. One can be hard pressed to understand what use can the tracks be put to but then, this is the land of jugaad after all.

The stolen property recovered by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) in 2017-18 was of a whopping value worth Rs 2.97 crores. It was double the value of stolen item recovered by the RPF in the year 2016-2017.

An officer of the RPF was quoted saying that they (the RPF) have at times passengers "stuffing" linen in their bags. Iron and steel material is robbed only to be sold outside. But the most worrisome aspect is the theft of railway tracks which can lead to serious accidents resulting in loss of lives and property.

According to a report, in the year 2016-17, the RPF arrested 5,458 people in 5,219 cases of theft and the total worth of these items was Rs 1.58 crore. The number of cases went up to 5,239 in 2017-18.

The items most targeted by thieves include steel and iron products, wash basins, mirrors, fans, switches among other things. Add to that the perennial shortage of staff at the RPF and you understand why so many robberies are possible both inside the trains as well as on the stations.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 24, 2018 11:43 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).