Chennai: The Government Railway Police (GRP), Railway Protection Force (RPF), Dog Sqaud and Bomb Detection and Disposal Squad (BDDS) carried out a joint storming operation at major railway stations in the city today, to ensure that security features were intact and the places were safe for passengers.
A GRP Inspector who was part of the operation at Puratchi Thalaivar Dr MGR Central railway station said, “The storming operation took place at Central and Egmore stations, apart from the main stations in Trichy and Madurai. It began at 7 am and went on till 11 am. Around 200 police personnel were part of the exercise.”
All the entry and exit points were heavily guarded. Every passenger was screened and luggages were checked.
“Few minutes were taken to examine suspicious items,” he said. Even as the GRP and RPF carry out storming operation once a month, Additional Director General of Police (ADGP), Sylendra Babu has asked them to do an intense rehearsal this time due to the series of terror blasts in Sri Lanka.
The preparedness exercise was done under the leadership of Deputy Inspector General of police (DIG), Railways, Balakrishnan and Superintendent of Police for Railways, Rohit Nathan.
“These stations record a footfall of around 3.5 lakh a day. The storming activity will built trust in people that security and safety are intact and foolproof here. No anti-social element can penetrate,” a police official said.
Photo: R Thiyagarajan