MP GRP’s QIRT Boosts Rail Crime Recovery Rate Fourfold; Bhopal, Jabalpur Recover Nearly ₹4 Crore

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The Government Railway Police (GRP) has introduced the Quick Investigation Reaction Team (QIRT) system to ensure swift response to crimes on trains, helping raise the recovery rate in theft cases from around 5% to over 20%, officials said.

A special team is mobilised immediately upon receiving information about any crime. This team is assembled at the station preceding the one where the crime occurred and proceeds to the scene while conducting patrols.

During this process, any suspicious individuals encountered are questioned.

If a passenger is involved, GRP staff board the train at the next station, visit the specific coach, and register an FIR for the incident right on board.

Under this new system, the recovery rate for crimes like theft, which previously averaged around 5%, has risen to over 20%.

Tracking

Daily reports track FIR follow-ups

Additionally, follow-ups are being conducted for FIRs registered with the GRP. Every station in-charge (TI) has been tasked with calling crime victims to verify the facts regarding cases registered at their respective stations; this ensures that incorrect information is not provided by lower-level GRP staff.

Furthermore, the GRP has instructed all stations to register FIRs for crimes occurring during travel as "Zero FIRs" at the station where the journey concludes, and then forward the case diary to the relevant station.

This prevents victims from having to interrupt their journey or travel to the specific station where the crime occurred.

Common incidents on trains include the theft of mobile phones, wallets, bags, and jewellery, as well as drugging and robbery. The GRP has also compiled dossiers on habitual railway offenders, which has accelerated the pace of solving crimes.

Recoveries

Unit

2024

2025

2026

GRP Bhopal

Rs 79.28 lakh

Rs 67.00 lakh

Rs 102.29 lakh

GRP Jabalpur

Rs 182.40 lakh

Rs 248.87 lakh

Rs 292.10 lakh

GRP Indore

Rs 60.69 lakh

Rs 41.58 lakh

Rs 34.15 lakh

Figures cover the period from Jan 1 to July 31 for all three years.

Railway crimes are difficult to crack

Compared to ordinary crimes, tracing the accused and recovering stolen property in railway-related crimes is difficult because the perpetrators often move far away from the scene of the crime.

To address this, a QIRT system has been implemented, leading to increased recovery rates in the Bhopal and Jabalpur units; instructions have been issued to boost this performance in Indore as well.

Rajababu Singh, Special DG (Railways)