Railway Protection Force (RPF)

The Indian Railway Protection Force (RPF) is an Indian Central Armed Police Force charged with protecting the Indian Railways.The strength of RPF is about 65,000.

The duties of the Railway Protection Force include:

To do all conducive means for the free movement of the railways.

Protection and safeguarding of railway property.

Protection and safeguarding of passenger, their belongings and passenger areas.

The origin of this force was 'Watch & Ward' and functioned under the administrative control of railway administration. Later on this force was renamed as Railway Protection Force and its members were provided with the power of arrest without warrant for the unlawful possession of railway property. The term railway property included only the properties owned by the railway administration. In due course of time, the definition for the term Railway Property was extended and it included the properties owned by, or in the charge of or entrusted with the railways. The offenders are booked under the Railway Property (Unlawful Possession) Act 1966 which is shortly known as RP(UP) Act 1966. Now the Railway Protection Force has a separate administrative system and functions under the general supervision of the Railway Administration

Numbers of incidents indicates that Railway Protection Force (RPF) is highly affected with CORRUPTION. Following are two out of many cases about corrupt practices by RPF personnel.

1. CBI raided in Nov 2009 at Kurla terminus (Railway station, Mumbai) & raid handed trapped around 14 RPF personnel for extorting money from poor passengers of long distance trains, before CBI raid, numbers of public submitted complaints to RPF authority about the same scam, but honest efforts were not made to unearth the scam, instead of that senior RPF officers suppressed this scam by submitting dishonest reports into genuine complaints that complaints found false. this shows the complicity of seniors with extortionist RPF personnel.

2. Few years ago the power of arrest petty offenders without warrant under section 41 of CrPC has been transferred from Govt. Railway Police to Railway Protection Force by making amendment under section 179 of Indian Railway act, there are two force in Railway one is Govt. Railway Police (GRP) which is state Police working on deputation in Railways & another is Railway Protection Force (RPF) directly controlled by Indian Railway.

2.1 Numbers of incidents indicates that after getting power to arrest, RPF has misuse power to extort money from poor passengers, for example in the year 2010 one Activist exposed RPF for running fake Court at platform no.9 of Kurla suburban railway station (Mumbai) whereat one RPF constable posses as Magistrate, execute fake bail bonds to release arrested persons, RPF instead of depositing cash bail bond amount in Court, pocketed bail bonds money.

2.2 It is more shocking that 1st complaint dt,31-07-2008 was made by one honest RPF constable Mr.Jogdankar about said fake court, but honest efforts were not made by RPF department, to suppressed the scam, submit dishonest report by RPF department that complaint was false, & tried as maximum as possible to victimized complainant.

2.3 However complainant Mr.Jogdankar continued his efforts to expose fake court scam, finally he succeed to get evidences that persons were released on fake bail bonds by RPF, cash bail bond amount misappropriated by RPF personnel, put Magistrate stamp on charge sheet without any order of Court.

2.4 Related to fake court scam by RPF, Hon’ble Bombay High Court suo-motu decided to treat complaint letter from Activist into Criminal Public Interest Litigation No.29 of 2010, then court appoint Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI is Special Police team to deal with corruption cases) to probe the scam, CBI probe reveal names of 27 RPF personnel involved into scam. CBI probe is positively under progress....