Fatka-offenders in Wadala may consider themselves warned. The Central Railway has dispatched one of its finest, Vinita Pal, the best female athlete of the Indian Railway Protection Force (RPF), to keep a close eye on phone-snatchers and ‘fatka’ offenders at Wadala railway station. Vinita won the award for the best female athlete of the RPF in the recently concluded all-India RPF athletics championship in Mumbai.
Wadala Road Railway station is one of the ‘fatka’-prone sections of Central Railway’s Mumbai Division. Around 20 to 22 cases of theft used to be registered every month in the Wadala section before the sudden, great lockdown of 2020.
“She is currently posted at Wadala RPF post, but now we have decided to put her on special assignment and she will be deployed on the “outer portion of station where several phone thefts had happened before the lockdown,” said a CR official, adding that in most of cases, it was noticed that as a train was approaching / leaving the station, was when the offenders struck, snatched and flew.
Confirming the development, Jitendra Shrivastava, senior divisional security commissioner of Central Railway, Mumbai Division said, “We are proud to have best female athlete of the Indian Railway Protection Force in our team and we are going to utilise her running ability to prevent the phone theft and catch the offenders.”
A native of Hardoi, district, Uttar Pradesh, Vinita, 23, joined the CR’s RPF team on November 27, 2020, after completion of her training and decided to deploy her at Wadala.
Speaking with the FPJ, on Sunday, Vinita said, “It was really nice to participate in the all-India RPF athletic championship. I have won three gold medals, including the 5km, 10km and 4×4 relay races and am really happy with my performance.”
A CR official said, “Apart from her regular duties at the suburban stations she got some days to practice exclusively but her regular practice continues even after or before hectic duty hours,” adding that her potential would definitely help catch the offenders.
The 28th All India RPF Athletic Championship, a four-day long mega event was organised by the Central Railway at University grounds, Mumbai recently. Hundreds of male and female athletes of the RPF participated.
Southern Railway topped the medals tally with 28 medals, including 17 gold, 10 silver and one bronze, whereas Central Railway stood in the second position with 20 medals, including nine gold, four silver and seven bronze medals.
