Three GRP Personnel Dismissed for Assault and Extortion at Mumbai Central Terminus
In a significant move against police misconduct, three Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel have been dismissed from service following a departmental inquiry. The inquiry found them guilty of assaulting and extorting money from a jeweller in the presence of his minor daughter at Mumbai Central Terminus last year.
Details of the Dismissal and Incident
The dismissal order, issued on March 30, named assistant sub-inspector Lalit Jagtap, constable Rahul Bhosle, and constable Anil Rathod, all attached to the Mumbai Central GRP chowky. They were dismissed for harassing the jeweller despite him providing a valid explanation for the valuables he was carrying. The trio had been under suspension since the incident occurred on August 10, 2025, and were posted at GRP's Ghatkopar headquarters at the time of their dismissal.
The incident unfolded when the jeweller, accompanied by his eight-year-old daughter and brother-in-law, was at Mumbai Central Terminus to board the Duronto Express back to Rajasthan after visiting Mumbai for Raksha Bandhan. Around 10:30 PM, as they reached platform number 5, a uniformed GRP officer seated at a table stopped them for a baggage check.
Escalation of Harassment and Threats
The officer, who was not wearing a name tag, discovered a 14-gram gold biscuit wrapped in paper and Rs 31,000 in cash in the luggage. The jeweller explained that he had attended a jewellery exhibition in Mumbai and visited his sister for Raksha Bandhan, but the cop remained unsatisfied. He summoned another uniformed colleague, also without a name tag, and the group was taken outside the terminus through an alley to a room where a third officer was seated, claimed to be a "senior."
There, the situation turned violent. The cops hurled abuses, slapped the jeweller, and threatened to lock him up overnight. "I was slapped twice in front of my daughter who began crying," the jeweller recounted in an interview last year. They further intimidated him by threatening to produce the gold biscuit before a magistrate and demanded he arrange a copy of his Aadhaar card over the phone. Additionally, they forced him to sign several blank sheets of paper.
Resolution and Aftermath
Just five minutes before his train's departure at 10:55 PM, the cops returned the gold but kept the cash. When the jeweller pleaded, they returned only Rs 1,900 and advised him to run to catch his train. Traumatized by the ordeal, the jeweller filed a police complaint in Rajasthan on August 16, which was later transferred to Mumbai Central GRP and then to the Railway Crime Branch.
Activist Sameer Zaveri commented on the swift action, stating, "In seven months, GRP has completed a departmental probe and dismissed the cops, sending a strong message that corruption and extortion will not be tolerated." This case highlights ongoing efforts to address misconduct within law enforcement and ensure accountability for such egregious acts.
