Now do not be scared of crimes while travelling by the Metro. In an effort to provide a relatively safe ride in comparison to other modes of transport and strengthen the security system at Metro stations, Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) plans to have five new Metro police stations.
A few months back, the Delhi Police had sent a proposal to the DMRC seeking sanction for these Metro police stations at Yamuna Bank, Peeragarhi, IGI Express, Qutub Minar and Lajpat Nagar.
While Delhi Police’s spokesperson Rajan Bhagat doesn’t have any more details to divulge, he maintains that Delhi Metro already has four Metro police stations at Kashmiri Gate, Shastri Park, Rithala and Raja Garden and the police personnel here are quite efficient. “The presence of full-fledged police stations inside or outside Metro stations has deterred petty criminals to a considerable extent. And if commuters report about any crime at these stations, action is immediately taken and the case is quickly wrapped up,” says Rajan.
The most common theft at Metro stations is snatching. Mobile phones, purses, gold chains are usually snatched outside the train as the automatic doors are closing or while entering or exiting.
Sanchita Bisht, a government official lost her mobile phone while she was boarding a Metro back home. “It happened during peak hours when the Kashmere Gate station was crowded. As soon as I entered the tube, somebody pushed me from behind and snatched my phone. I tried to turn back and chase him, but people just pushed me inside and I could not do anything. If there is a police station nearby, the least we can do is register an FIR so that we can immediately get the number blocked.”
It will also slow down the increasing number of crimes against women. Says air steward Anu Shrivas, “The sooner we will be able to report about the crime, the better it would be for the police to chase the accused.”
But advertising professional Malvika Singh differs and says, “It is not easy to convince cops about anything. They take their own time to even register an FIR. I doubt if this is really going to help as most of us feel awkward going to a police station where you know nobody will give you a patient hearing.”