On receiving frequent complaints of theft on local trains,especially at night,the railway police recently laid a trap and arrested a 17-year-old along with an accomplice on a Churchgate-bound train. The boy whom they nabbed has turned out to be a good student who had cleared his SSC examination with 71 per cent marks two years ago. After the Mumbai Railway polices Vasai section arrested the minor along with an accomplice,Avdhut Pradeep Prabhu, on June 14,they learnt that the accused had turned to robbery to support his family. During interrogation,the police learnt that the boy had scored 71 per cent marks in his SSC exams. But since his father was a habitual drinker and did not take care of the family,the boy took to petty thefts to earn a livelihood. The police caught him on June 9 after laying a trap in the Churchgate bound train. As a part of their plan,the police made one assistant motorman board the train at 12.10 am from Vasai. When most of the passengers alighted at various stations,the motorman waited for the robbers. The accused boarded the train after the compartment had become deserted. Threatening the motorman with a knife,they snatched his mobile phone and gold ring. Soon after the incident,the police traced the robbers with the help of the IMEA number of the mobile phone that was stolen. Namankit More,Senior Police Inspector,Vasai railway police station,told Newsline,We located the duo using the mobile phone. We then dispatched a police team to arrest them. Both the accused are residents of Nallasopara. A case was registered against them under Section 394 and 34 of Indian Penal Code. More said,Six months ago,I caught three children for stealing 7 mobile phones. Boys usually choose such a path due to family problems or to make easy money. The number of children engaged in these crimes has sharply increased in the last two years. This has left the police worried. Last month,AK Sharma,commissioner,Government Railway Police (GRP) had called a meeting with his staff to discuss the measures to curb such crimes. From January to April,Bandra Railway police have caught 20 minors (age 13 to 17) red-handed for stealing mobile from commuters travelling on the footboard of the local trains. On March 27 this year,the Railway Protection Force,Dadar,arrested a minor for stealing the cables from the tracks.
