BENGALURU: In a troubling twist to Bengaluru’s battle against stone-pelting on trains, even CCTV cameras installed to catch offenders are now becoming targets.A solar-powered CCTV camera installed near Banaswadi station to monitor railway tracks and keep watch for stone-pelting incidents has gone missing from its pole.The incident has raised questions over how effectively surveillance equipment is being secured and whether such systems can be relied upon to curb attacks on passing trains.The camera had been installed just a few months ago along a stretch where passengers frequently reported stones being hurled at passing trains. However, about a week ago, regular commuter Pruthvin Reddy noticed the camera had disappeared.
Stone pelting
“I had been seeing CCTV cameras for the past three to four months, near the tracks outside Banaswadi railway station. When I passed by last week, I noticed one of them was missing. It had also been installed at a very low height, making it relatively easy to access,” Reddy said.The missing camera is particularly concerning because railway authorities had installed it precisely to strengthen surveillance along vulnerable stretches. In all, 21 such cameras have been installed at various locations across Bengaluru.South Western Railway officials suspect the Banaswadi camera was damaged by miscreants. Following a complaint from the senior section engineer (signal), a case has been registered with Railway Protection Force (RPF) at Byappanahalli.
