Government Railway Police
| Government Railway Police | |
|---|---|
 Seal of the Government of India | |
| Abbreviation | GRP |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1887 |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Operations jurisdiction | India |
| Legal jurisdiction | States |
| Governing body | State governments |
| Constituting instrument | |
| Operational structure | |
| Overseen by | Ministry of Home Affairs of states |
| Agency executive |
|
| Parent agency | State police |
| [1] | |
Government Railway Police (GRP), or simply Railway Police, are branches of the state police forces in India responsible for maintaining law and order, as well as preventing and detecting crimes in railway premises and trains. Its duties correspond to those of the district police in the areas under their jurisdiction.
It differs from the Railway Protection Force (RPF), which is a paramilitary force under the Ministry of Railways, responsible for the security of passengers and railway property. If a crime is detected by the RPF, the case has to be handed over to the respective GRP.[2][3]
Role
[edit]The role of Government Railway Police is to maintain law and order within railway buildings and track areas, as well as to investigate offences on body and property of passengers in trains and railway premises. They also provide security in trains and railway premises. While the Railway Protection Force gives protection for railway properties, passengers, and passenger areas.[4]
The GRP performs similar functions as the district police within its jurisdiction. Maintaining order include duties such as controlling passenger and vehicle traffic, arresting offenders, removing persons with infectious diseases and beggars, examining empty carriages, the removal of dead bodies of persons died on train or station premises, and moving sick passengers to hospitals. The protection of goods sheds, goods wagons at stations and parcel offices is the duty of the Railway Protection Force.[5]
History
[edit]During the British Raj, railways were initially policed by the district police of the respective jurisdictions. However, as railway lines traversed multiple police districts, the need arose for a dedicated railway police. This led to the establishment of separate railway police districts, covering specific sections of railway lines within a province. The Government Railway Police (GRP) was formally established in 1887 in Bengal and Bombay, followed by Punjab two years later. Initially, these railway police districts operated under the supervision of the Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of the Criminal Investigation Departments (CID). This arrangement continued until the mid-1970s when GRPs were placed under the authority of a separate DIG, Inspector General (IG), or Additional Director General (ADG). The functional jurisdiction of the GRP was restricted to railway premises, trains, and tracks.[6]
Since "police" and "public order" fall under the State List in the Seventh Schedule of the Constitution of India, state governments are responsible for crime prevention, detection, registration, investigation, and maintaining law and order on railways within their jurisdictions. This responsibility is executed through the GRP.[7] Although the Ministry of Railways funds 50% of the GRP's expenses, it has no administrative or operational control over the force. This arrangement has occasionally caused friction between the Ministry and state governments. Furthermore, the GRP does not handle the security of goods and freight on railways. To address this gap, the Ministry later established the Railway Protection Force (RPF), which focuses specifically on protecting railway property.[6]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Website
- ^ Press Trust of India. "MoS Railways dubs Railway Protection Force as 'toothless', demands more power for it". economictimes.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
- ^ Bibek Debroy. "Lesser-known facts about GRP and RPF". Business Standard. Retrieved 16 May 2021.
- ^ "Role of the GRP". indianrailways.gov.in. South Western Railway. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
- ^ "Role of GRP" (PDF). South Central Railways. Retrieved 27 May 2022.
- ^ a b Lévy, René; Mehra, Ajay K. (2011). The Police, State, and Society: Perspectives from India and France. Pearson Education. pp. 53–54. ISBN 978-81-317-3145-1. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
- ^ PIB Delhi (27 November 2024). "Railways Collaborates with GRP to Enhance Safety and Security for Women Passengers". PIB. Retrieved 2 December 2024.
