New Delhi: On 31 July, Railway Protection Force (RPF) constable Chetan Singh allegedly gunned down his senior, who was also his in-charge, and three passengers using his service rifle, an AK-47, in a Mumbai-bound train at the Vaitarna railway station in Maharashtra.
After news reports emerged about Singh suffering from a serious anxiety disorder, the Railways Wednesday issued a statement — which it withdrew within hours — that his family had kept this a secret. It added that no medical ailment was detected in his last periodical medical examination.
Since the incident has brought into focus the RPF, ThePrint explains what the force does and their role in ensuring security of passengers in our trains and on railway property.
Formed under the Railway Protection Force Act, 1957, the RPF is tasked with the duty of better protection and security of passengers, passenger areas and railway property. Its origins date back to British rule in India, when the former set up the ‘Company Police’ — the precursor of the RPF — for watch and ward duties in the Railways, according to its website.
The RPF is headed by an officer of the rank of Director General. Officers are recruited through the Union Public Service Commission (UPSC) civil services exam and are members of the Indian Railway Protection Force Service (IRPFS).
However, recruitment for posts of constables, sub-inspectors, and assistant sub-inspectors is done through exams conducted by the Ministry of Railways, not UPSC.
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RPF’s powers & responsibilities
The RPF has the power to deal with cases of theft, unlawful possession of railway property and dishonest misappropriation under the Railway Property (Unlawful Possession) Act, 1966.
Simultaneously, it also has the power to deal with offences — under the the Railways Act, 1989 — related to unauthorised entry into coaches reserved for women, trespassing, travelling on the roof of trains, touting and vending.
The RPF receives specialised services in zonal railways through assistance provided by the Railway Protection Special Force (RPSF), which, according to Railways’ annual yearbook (2021-22), has 15 units in various parts of the country. These include a female battalion, and a commando force — the Commando for Railway Security (CORAS), which was inducted in August 2019.
The CORAS was to be a responder for situations related to disaster, hijacks, and hostage situations in railway areas along with disturbance and disruption of train operations.
The commandos — comprising RPF and RPSF personnel — undergo training that includes handling landmines and improvised explosive devices (IEDs) and are armed with sophisticated weapons, special uniforms, bullet-proof jackets and helmets.
Meanwhile, maintenance of law and order and detection, registration, investigation and prevention of crime is the responsibility of the Government Railway Police (GRP), which falls under the concerned state government, and the latter shares the administrative costs of the GRP with the central government.
The GRP is not responsible for the protection of goods-sheds, goods-wagons at stations and parcel offices, those are the RPF’s responsibilities.
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RPF strength, weaponry
According to a press statement issued by the Ministry of Railways on 11 March, 2020, the sanctioned strength of the RPF stands at 74,830 with 61,869 RPF personnel on the rolls.
All RPF and RPSF personnel — officers of the rank of assistant sub inspectors (ASI) and above, head constables, constables and drivers — are provided with weapons based on their rank.
These weapons include pistols, carbines, INSAS rifles, self-loading rifles (SLR) and light machine guns (LMG).
According to a standing order issued by the Railway Board in 2011, a copy of which has been accessed by ThePrint, all RPF and RPSF personnel of the rank of ASI and above are provided with 9millimetre pistols.
In the case of RPF head-constables, 15 per cent are provided with AK-47 rifles, 20 percent are provided with INSAS rifles and 10 percent with SLRs, while the remaining are provided with carbines and pistols.
Only 10 percent of the RPF constables, according to the order, are to be provided with AK-47 rifles, while 25 percent are provided with INSAS rifles, 15 percent with SLRs and the remaining with carbines and pistols.
As many as 30 percent of the RPSF head-constables are provided with AK-47 rifles, while 40 percent are equipped with the INSAS rifles. The remaining are provided with pistols and carbines.
In the case of RPSF constables, 20 percent are provided with AK-47 rifles, 55 percent are provided with INSAS rifles, and the remaining with pistols and carbines.
Further, all drivers (trained), who fall in the ranks of subordinate officers and under officers, are provided with 9millimetre pistols.
Medical tests
According to the Indian Railways, gazetted officers under category A-1, A-2 and A-3 are required to undergo a periodical medical examination once every four years till the age of 45, and every two years until the age of 55, and annually thereafter.
Officers under category B-1 and B-2 undergo such an examination on attaining the age of 45, and thereafter, every 5 years.
Meanwhile, officers under category C-1 and C-2 do not require any periodical medical examination.
Constables, who are listed as ‘other members of the force’ on the Railways website and are non-gazetted personnel, have to undergo a periodical medical examination every three years.
However, a former senior RPF official, who did not wish to be named, told ThePrint that the examinations are not conducted with the care and focus that they require and the availability of psychiatrists remains low.
“Over the years, the duties of the RPF have multiplied and its strength remains low. For instance, there is a mandatory rest period for drivers and guards, given the intensity of the duties, but why is the same not provided to RPF personnel?” the official said.
(Edited by Smriti Sinha)
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