Strict action against Home Guards held for Extortion

Reacting to a news report in the media on Tuesday that three RPF Home Guards/Jawans were involved in extortion were arrested by the Gopalpuram Police, the South Central Railway, Secunderabad has stated that the Railways would initiate strict action against the three erring Home Guards who were extorting money from people in the circulating area outside Secunderabad Railway Station, o¬n receipt of report from the Police.

As a consequence, the three Home Guards – P. Murali Rao, D. Prashanth and Sayanna — will not be taken o¬n duty and will be repatriated permanently to Superintendent of Police, Ranga Reddy District with a recommendation to take stringent action against them and delist them from the Home Guards Organisation.

In a pressnote issued by SCR Chief Public Relations Officer M Umashankar Kumar stated P. Murali Rao, Home Guard, who had earlier too indulged in extracting money from Railway passengers, was repatriated to Superintendent of Police, Ranga Reddy District with request to delist him from the Home Guards organization. However, the Ranga Reddy District SP redirected the Home Guard with a request to take him o¬n duty o¬n humanitarian grounds stating that the Home Guard was warned not to repeat such mistakes in future, duly taking an undertaking from him. As per the request, he was taken on duty and posted at Divisional Railway Manager’s (DRM) Office, Secunderabad Division o¬n security duty from September 14, 2015.

Another accused D. Prashanth, who was deployed at RPF Post, Secunderabad Station, is a habitual absentee and was removed from Security duty at Secunderabad Railway Station and deployed at DRM Office, Secunderabad Division security duty since March this year. Based o¬n their record of service, both the Home Guards were removed from Security duty at Secunderabad Railway Station earlier since it was not considered appropriate to post them there. Incidentally, they were off duty at the time of their apprehension by the Gopalpuram police. The third Home Guard Sayanna was arrested by the police. Although he did not involve in extortion, he remained a mute spectator and did not bother to inform about the illegal activities to Inspector in-charge, RPF, Secunderabad station nor any other superior officer. Hence, he was also considered guilty in the case.

In the light of the incident, supervision o¬n the Home Guards working for Railways will be tightened and any Home Guard, against whom information of being involved in objectionable activities is received in future, will be promptly repatriated, the SCR stated. (NSS)