20 November,2009 08:42 AM IST | | Vivek Sabnis
Not willing to take chances, railway police will addu00a0 dog squad to its bomb detection team to screen stations on eve of 26/11 anniversary
After crying hoarse foru00a0 nearly two decades to enhance security measures, the Pune railway police will finally get some relief in the form of a specially trained dog squad to detect bombs planted at railway stations.
On the eve of the first anniversary of the 26/11 terror attacks in Mumbai, the railway police will acquire two sniffer dogs for detecting bombs and also help in solving routine crimes of thefts and robbery at Pune railway
station.
The dog squad will also screen seven more districts that come under the railways' jurisdiction.
The two dogs are most likely to be Labradors or Dobermans. While their training would commence soon after they arrive at the State Reserve Police Force (SRPF) campus at Hadapsar, their handlers have already arrived.
In addition, the railway police have also prepared two trained quick response teams (QRT) as part of their preparations against terrorist activities.
Quick response
The two teams consist of two senior officer and 30 constables who were given training in anti-sabotage operations and weapons in the State Reserve Police Force ground by trained commandos.
"They are now fit to handle any terror attacks," said Dr Digambar Pradhan, SP, Pune Railway Range.
Besides this, the railway police have also got its Rs 16 lakh X-ray scanner machine repaired, which was dysfunctional until some weeks ago.
Screening squads
According to Pradhan, the railway police do find 'suspected objects' lying in railway compartments, but find themselves helpless when there is no bomb detection device to detect explosives.
"The trained dogs that are being given to the railway police are the need of the hour, and will help in such detections on the stations," he said.
On an average, the railway police receive about two calls a month for bombs planted at stations.
"We have also been given sophisticated equipment to detect bombs and any kinds of explosives. Railway personnel are being trained and provided specialised training at the SRPF campus," Pradhan added.
So far the railway police were taking the help from Government Railway Police (GRP) and Pune police in cases of bomb threats.
