Government Railway Police
| Government Railway Police | |
|---|---|
 Seal of the Government of India | |
| Abbreviation | GRP |
| Agency overview | |
| Formed | 1881 |
| Jurisdictional structure | |
| Federal agency | India |
| Operations jurisdiction | India |
| Primary governing body | Government of India |
| Secondary governing body | Ministry of Railways |
| Constituting instrument | |
| General nature | |
| Operational structure | |
| Headquarters | New Delhi, India |
| Ministers responsible |
|
| Parent agency | Indian Police Service |
| Districts | 725 |
| [1] | |
The Government Railway Police (IAST: Sarkārī Relve Pulis), abbreviated as GRP, is the police force of the Indian Railways. It was established by the Railways Act, 1989 of the Parliament of India. Its duties correspond to those of the District Police in the areas under their jurisdiction, such as patrolling, but only on railway property. It is the parent agency of the Railway Protection Force, and aids and provides assistance to it[2], whose primary duties are to protect and secure all railway property.
The GRP's responsibility is to observe law and order on all railway property. Officers are recruited from the Indian Police Service. The force is under joint-control of the Indian Ministry of Railways and the police departments of the various state police departments of India.[3]
Role
The primary role of the GRP is to observe law & order within railway stations in India and in mainline, passenger and suburban trains, including control of passenger and commuter traffic, thus preventing overcrowding, controlling vehicle traffic within station premises, arresting criminals, and removing persons with disease and preventing hawking and begging.[4] It also examines empty train carriages at the time of arrival at their termini for lost property left behind by passengers or stolen from trains and sees to the removal of bodies of persons who die on trains or near station premises and their medical needs.
The GRP also has the power to report and arrest passengers violating the Railways Act, 1989[5], such as ticketless travel, theft, sexual assault, and report them to the civilian law enforcement in India, report fraudulent or oppressive behaviour towards railway personnel, and enquire any accidents on railway property. It also renders any assistance required to railway officers and the Railway Protection Force.
References
- ^ Website
- ^ Press Trust of India. "Security heightened at AP railway stations after Chennai bomb blasts". economictimes.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
- ^ "Role of the GRP". indianrailways.gov.in. South Western Railway. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
- ^ "Role of GRP". indianrailways.gov.in. Indian Railways. Retrieved 12 June 2019.
- ^ Press Trust of India. "MoS Railways dubs Railway Protection Force as 'toothless', demands more power for it". economictimes.indiatimes.com. Retrieved 12 June 2019.