Three bodies in as many months: Bengaluru railway stations’ vulnerability exposed under 'serial killer' scare

The discovery of three women's bodies at Bengaluru railway stations in as many months has exposed the insufficiency of security at the stations.

Although it remains unclear how the perpetrators managed to transport the bodies into the stations, sources within the Karnataka Railway Police stated that numerous stations lacked essential security equipment, including metal detectors and baggage scanners.

"Even prominent railway stations that see heavy footfall do not have (security),” pointed out a RPF official, who did not want to be named.

“Anyone with a platform ticket can walk in. And since most stations have multiple entrances, RPF personnel tend to focus only on the most-used entrance. They neglect others,” the officer added.

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Another officer stated that the issue is compounded by the fact that the CCTV cameras installed at critical locations are either inoperable or outdated. "In many cases of theft, the visuals are either missing or blurred. From low-quality cameras to storage issues, technical glitches are aplenty,” the officer explained.

Dr Soumyalatha S K, Superintendent of Police for Railways, said they have reached out to the Railway Protection Force (RPF) for extra scanners and CCTV cameras. "Security scanning and purchasing such equipment do not fall under our purview. We have identified the need and written to the RPF concerning the need for additional equipment," she said.

Another official mentioned that although railway officials conducted inspections at some stations, there has been little to no improvement on the ground. The manpower shortage has compounded their issues. “We could do a better job if we had more men on the ground. Now, owing to the shortage of staff, many of us work on a 12-hour shift as compared to the usual eight-hour shifts,” a police official said on condition of anonymity.

Security in the railway station premises is the responsibility of both RPF and Government Railway Police (GRP). “We do not have the figures as of now,” said an officer. “But the GRP staff strength is very less compared to RPF. So, their visibility in patrolling inside the railway station is lower than RPF.”

The officer also said sanctioned strength of the staff is also less and several posts remain vacant. “It is harder for us to keep a watch on suspicious persons in every corner of the railway station,” he said.

A senior officer said people carrying goods inside trains are all too common. “So, with the current staff, it is humanly impossible to check all the parcels."