Kasaragod: After a short interval, thieves are having a roaring time on the premises of the railway station here again. Though thefts had subsided in the area after police and railway authorities took stringent action, regular complaints are being reported over the last two months.
Vehicle thefts, picking pockets and stealing of petrol from parked vehicles are the most common incidents that bother passengers.
Though authorities believe pickpockets are very active at the railway station, they say only a few passengers register a formal complaint in this regard. People take the matter to the authorities only when they lose important documents or big amounts. Another curious aspect regarding picking of pockets is that the incidents mostly take place in broad daylight.
Vehicle thefts
The latest incident of bike theft from the railway station was reported on Saturday. The rider had parked the vehicle in the morning and when he returned by afternoon, his bike was gone.
With two-wheelers most at risk of being stolen, vehicle owners regularly traveling by train are a worried lot. It does not help matters that among the several vehicle thefts reported so far, was an incident in which a policeman who was on duty at the railway station lost his bike.
Vanishing spareparts
Apart from vehicles, thieves target spare parts like indicators. Helmets kept in parked two-wheelers are also not spared. However, few complaints are registered in this regard.
Petrol that ‘vaporises’
While there is no safety for vehicles parked on the railway station premises, those left inside the station are thankfully not stolen, but their fuel levels witness a dip. Petrol in vehicles of not only common folk, but also railway and police officials is regularly stolen.
Recently, a passenger had kept his bike behind the police aid post and boarded a train to Kannur. When he returned to take the two-wheeler at 8 pm the same day, all the petrol worth Rs 500 that he had filled had been stolen.
In fact, only the vehicles parked in the pay and park area are safe.
Auto woes
Another problem facing passengers arriving at Kasaragod railway station after 10 pm is conveyance to nearby places. Though there would be several autorickshaws waiting for passengers, they refuse short trips, forcing passengers to walk.
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