Railway crimes dip in 2016, but offences against women rise

Railway crimes has seen a diminishing trend in criminal cases in 2016 as compared to the previous year. Sixteen per cent less cases were registered in 2016, compared to the cases registered in 2015, statistics gathered by Praja Foundation revealed.

According to the report, 2,742 serious offences were registered by the railway police in 2015, while 2,311 cases were registered in 2016. Cases of murder and rape registered by railway police saw a 50 per cent increase in 2016 as compared to 2015.

"Locals are a mode of commute for a large number of people in Mumbai and it is important that it is safe for women to commute through locals. Railway crime statistics illustrates that rape and molestation continues to persist across the years," said Nitai Mehta, Founder of Praja Foundation.

The statistics further revealed that accidental death cases in railways have seen a slight decrease in 2016 with 1,560 deaths as compared to 1,585 deaths in the year 2015.

According to the report, out of 1,560 cases of deaths on city railway tracks in 2016, Kurla railway police has registered the highest number at 387. Kurla railway police has consistently witnessed over 400 accidental deaths per year since 2012. The number of police personnel working in the railway department has also seen a shortage across levels.