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The Maharashtra government has announced plans to expand CCTV coverage and strengthen police patrolling across Mumbai's suburban railway network following the fatal stabbing of a commuter on a local train. Responding to the incident in the state assembly earlier this week, Minister of State for Home Yogesh Kadam said the accused was identified and arrested within 15 hours using CCTV footage and Facial Recognition System (FRS) technology. The government has also approached the Centre to increase CCTV installations across the suburban rail network. Alongside enhanced surveillance, the state plans to improve emergency medical response, intensify intelligence-led policing and continue preventive safety initiatives to protect millions of daily rail commuters.
The Maharashtra government has announced a series of measures to strengthen security across Mumbai's suburban railway network, including expanding CCTV surveillance and increasing police patrolling, following the fatal stabbing of a commuter aboard a local train. Responding to an adjournment notice in the state assembly earlier this week, Minister of State for Home Yogesh Kadam said the measures were intended to improve passenger safety and prevent similar incidents.
The minister informed the House that the accused in the murder of commuter Mayank Lohar, who was stabbed in a first-class coach of a Churchgate-Nalasopara local train on June 23, had been identified and arrested within 15 hours. He said investigators tracked the suspect by analysing CCTV footage and using the Facial Recognition System (FRS), following which legal proceedings were initiated.
Kadam stated that the Railway Police maintain round-the-clock surveillance through dedicated monitoring centres operating across approximately 20 police stations. Addressing concerns regarding staffing levels, he said the Railway Police Commissionerate currently has 4,175 sanctioned posts, rejecting suggestions that the force suffers from inadequate manpower.
The minister said the Maharashtra government had written to the Centre seeking an increase in the number of CCTV cameras across Mumbai's suburban railway network. He explained that conventional physical screening of passengers is not feasible, given that approximately 75 to 80 lakh commuters travel on Mumbai's suburban trains every day. Instead, railway security relies on intelligence-based surveillance, targeted monitoring of suspicious individuals, surprise inspections and random checks conducted inside train coaches.
According to Kadam, the state will focus on strengthening CCTV coverage and enhancing police patrolling throughout the suburban railway system to reduce the likelihood of violent incidents. He added that emergency medical rooms would be established at every railway station to ensure passengers receive immediate medical assistance whenever required.
The minister also highlighted measures aimed at improving women's safety on suburban trains. He said 218 railway security teams currently monitor women's coaches between 9 pm and 6 am, with four security personnel deployed on every train operating during those hours.
Providing an update on Railway Police operations, Kadam informed the House that officers had recovered stolen property worth approximately INR 4.36 crore and returned it to around 56,000 passengers. He further said action had been taken against 303 criminals and 117 individuals involved in drug-related offences during the current year.
The minister added that the Railway Police are implementing a 'Zero Death Mission' to improve passenger safety. As part of the initiative, 63 accident-prone locations across the railway network have been identified, while senior officers have been assigned to supervise preventive measures and strengthen emergency response systems. The government said these interventions form part of a broader effort to improve security, surveillance and emergency preparedness across one of the world's busiest suburban railway networks.
Source - PTI
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