The Railway Protection Force arrested a ticket tout and three suspected phone thieves in separate operations at and around Raghunathpur railway station in Buxar, recovering a sleeper-class Tatkal ticket and four mobile phones, the Times of India reported. The arrests were made during special drives aimed at curbing ticket fraud and improving passenger security.
The ticket tout was arrested on Friday during surveillance at the reservation counters under Operation Uplabdh. The RPF identified him as Vikas Kumar, a resident of the Brahmpur police station area in Buxar district. Personnel recovered a sleeper-class Tatkal ticket for a future journey from him.
The RPF said the operation was conducted under the direction of Kundan Kumar, inspector-in-charge of the RPF post in Buxar. Further legal proceedings against the arrested man were underway, according to the force.
In a separate operation on Thursday night, RPF personnel arrested three men suspected of stealing passengers’ mobile phones and other valuables at railway stations and on trains. The arrests followed patrolling and surveillance, during which four phones were recovered. The seized devices included three smartphones and one keypad phone.
The three men were identified as Chandan Kumar, 29, of Gagora village in Buxar district; Shahabuddin Khan, also known as Bora, of West Maula in Naya Bhojpur; and Mohammad Murad Khan, also known as Munna, of Chakwa under Dhangai police station in Bhojpur district. The RPF said the suspects allegedly admitted during questioning to stealing phones and other valuables from passengers.
The passenger-security operation was conducted under Operation Passenger Security on the directions of Uday Singh Pawar, senior divisional security commissioner of the Danapur division, and under the supervision of Kundan Kumar. The three accused and the recovered phones were handed over to the Government Railway Police for further legal action.
The twin operations come as the RPF intensifies surveillance at railway reservation counters and on trains ahead of an expected rise in passenger traffic during the festive season. The actions highlight the two distinct security concerns faced by railway passengers: unauthorised ticketing activity at reservation points and thefts targeting travellers in stations and moving trains.
The RPF has not provided details of the number of passengers allegedly affected by the suspected thefts or whether the recovered phones have been returned to their owners. Further proceedings will be handled by the Government Railway Police, while the RPF’s surveillance and raids at reservation counters and passenger areas are continuing.
