When contacted, railway superintendent of police (GRP) Vithal Jadhav said, “To my knowledge, we have already stopped these youngsters from coming to the station premises. If still they are found on the platforms, I will issue necessary directions to stop their entry.” He said the youngsters used to perform prayers twice a day at the station premises but that had been stopped. “There is no active involvement of the railway police with these youths,” Jadhav said.

Railway police inspector N Bhosale said these youth attend the nearby corporation school and had no connection with them.

Laxman Manjulkar, project-officer of Saathi, an NGO, said, “We basically work for rehabilitation of children and youths who have run away from home on flimsy reasons. We provide them proper counselling and hand them over to their parents.” Manjulkar agreed that there were some youths who are addicted to “whiteners.” “They consume whiteners as drugs. Their could be 20-30 such youth in the age group of 18 to 25. Action should be taken against them. We have no objection. We don’t allow they to stay, roam or loiter on the station area. After counselling, we immediately send them home,” he said.