Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam

Laxity all over

A veteran athlete from the city has not only lost his prize money and medal he secured in the Hyderabad 10 K Run along with other belongings on board the Godavari Express even before the train left Nampally railway station, but was also refused by a RPF constable to accept his complaint and was later duped by a fake constable who also took Rs.100 from him to issue a receipt for the complaint.

This might be a clean job done by a suitcase thief and a smart operation by a fake or real police. But the fact that this has happened in the railway stations in a sensitive city like Hyderabad where security should be doubled following the Mumbai terrorist attacks, is disturbing and also highlights the laxity on the part of the State police and RPF.

K. Tripura Sundera Rao said as soon as he lost his luggage in the S-11 coach of the Godavari Express on Sunday, he approached an RPF constable sitting on berth No. 7 but this man refused to accept his complaint. As the train started moving out of Nampally station the TTE directed Mr. Rao to approach the Train Partrolling Party at Secunderabad. Here a constable, who identified himself as K.S. Raju took his complaint and also collected Rs. 100 for issuing a receipt and asked Mr. Rao to contact him on his mobile next morning. This “constable” is wearing police uniform but a sports blazer he is wearing covered the badge bearing his name and number. A call to this number on Monday morning confirmed that the constable is a fake, said Mr. Rao.

The veteran athlete lodged a complaint with the Additional DGP (Railways) urging him not only to find the thief who has stolen his baggage but also the fake constable.

The terror attacks in Mumbai by a 10-member highly motivated (rather we should say misguided) gang of youth from Pakistan by sneaking into India through sea route along with arms and ammunition has created ripples in official circles in Visakhapatnam. This is because of vulnerability of Visakhapatnam – an industrial hub known as a peaceful city – to possible terror attacks in future.

With fishing boats from Sri Lanka intruding into Indian waters to poach tuna with impunity and blatant misuse of Letter of Permission guidelines by trawlers from Taiwan could lead to a gunrunning racket, or import of terrorists from across the border.

Hence, the newly set up marine police, the Navy and Coast Guards should intensify surveillance to prevent such a possibility going by the location of several vital installations in and around Visakhapatnam.

(G. Narasimha Rao and Santosh Patnaik)

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