The man, identified as Parshottam, a resident of the Kotarpur area in Ahmedabad, was spotted moving suspiciously on platforms 4 and 5 during surveillance by the RPF's Crime Prevention and Detection Squad (CPDS).

According to the RPF, the incident took place on November 7 when a CPDS team was deployed at the station for crime prevention and crowd management duties.

The team comprised Assistant Sub-Inspector Raman Kumar, Head Constable Dheeraj Kumar and Constables Sunil Kumar and Mukesh Kumar. During discreet surveillance, the personnel noticed Parshottam moving around suspiciously and apprehended him for questioning.

Caught before any theft

During interrogation, he allegedly admitted that he had come to the station intending to commit theft, taking advantage of the rush of passengers during the Diwali festival. "He was caught before he could allegedly carry out any theft," the RPF said.

He was also found not to be carrying any valid travel authority. The CPDS team subsequently handed him over to the Government Railway Police (GRP), Ahmedabad, for further legal action.

The RPF has stepped up vigilance at railway premises to prevent theft and other offences and ensure passenger safety during the festive rush. With Diwali drawing large crowds to stations, teams are watching platforms closely for suspicious movement.

The apprehension shows how the extra deployment is working. A man moving without a ticket and watching the crowd was picked up before anything was stolen, and the case is now with the GRP for legal action.