Dibrugarh, July 5: The new railway station at Banipur here has become a safe haven for criminals. Incidents of chain-snatching, robbery, harassment of passengers by drug addicts and eve-teasing have been reported of late.

“The station is on the city outskirts and that is why such incidents happen. Passengers as well as those living in and around the station face a lot of problems,” said a resident of Banipur, about 4.5km from the district headquarters.

The area around the station is unsafe for women. “Isolation of the place from the rest of the city is one of the main reasons. Recently we demolished some makeshift eateries that helped wrongdoers carry out their acts. Besides, there are plans to step up patrolling to curb crimes such as chain-snatching and eve-teasing,” the deputy superintendent of police (headquarters), Rabin Gohain, said.

In the past, unidentified bodies were dumped there.

“Sometimes we cannot make out whether the person lying by the roadside is dead or under the influence of alcohol/drugs,” said a woman who runs a paan shop nearby.

Additional superintendent Pranjit Bora said there have been reports of thugs in guise of passengers offering eatables laced with sedatives to co-passengers. The victims sometimes die of overdose and the bodies are dumped near the tracks.”

There have been demands from several quarters for a police outpost near the station. “There is a shortage of manpower which affects us during emergencies,” superintendent of police Rana Bhuyan said.

According to officials at Gabharupathar police outpost, the area in and around the station is huge for which it becomes difficult for patrol parties to keep a watch there and at the same time remain vigilant on the checkpoints near National Highway 37.

“During emergencies, we take help of the Railway Protection Force at Banipur and seek additional manpower from Milannagar police outpost,” said Bhupen Kr Sarmah, in-charge of Gabharupathar police outpost.

Sarmah said given the absence of police patrol vehicles, the outpost relies on two-wheeler patrols that take up routine duty in alternate shifts. The railways need to set up a GRPF unit at Banipur at the earliest which will help prevent illegal activities. There are around 30 RPF personnel at Banipur station comprising three assistant sub-inspectors and one sub-inspector. Around four to five constables are sent on each train from Dibrugarh as escorts.

Asked about the recent spurt in crime near the station at Banipur, Dibrugarh deputy commissioner Aruna Rajouri said they were considering the matter seriously and planning to take steps to ensure better safety of passengers and residents of Banipur.

“We have consulted the chairman of ASTC to introduce a shuttle bus for passengers,” Rajouri said.

She added that the district administration had ordered the authorities concerned to provide streetlights along all the link roads that connect the station at Banipur. Moreover, there will be counters at various spots to check access of vehicles. Talks are on with divisional railway manager, Tinsukia, to set up a GRPF unit at the station.