Two Mumbai GRP Constables Suspended For Allegedly Facilitating Illegal Gutkha Transportation Through Railway Trains

Two Government Railway Police (GRP) constables, Anil Gujar and Tushar Thakur, were suspended on September 7 for allegedly helping smuggle banned gutkha through railway trains, according to a senior GRP officer. The two constables - Gujar, who is posted at Borivali station, and Thakur, who works at Vasai station - were accused of collaborating with gutkha suppliers to transport the product from Gujarat to Mumbai.

The GRP launched an internal investigation after receiving a complaint from a citizen who claimed Gujar and Thakur were in contact with gutkha suppliers and assisting in the transportation of consignments. The investigation reportedly found both constables guilty, leading to their suspension. The banned gutkha, which is illegal in Maharashtra, was said to be moved through air-conditioned coaches, with bags containing the product hidden in storage compartments.

Sources claimed that gutkha suppliers paid storage contractors to facilitate the transportation, and that security personnel from the Railway Protection Force and other agencies were also reportedly paid to allow the contraband to pass through. Mail and express trains were allegedly used for transporting the gutkha consignments, with the packets hidden in black bags and concealed among bedroll storage areas.

The trains used for these operations included the Suryanagari Express, Golden Temple Mail, Garib Rath Express, Awadh Express, Bhavnagar Express, and Haridwar Express. Railway activist Samir Zaveri criticized the situation, stating that despite Maharashtra's ban on gutkha under Article 47, the ban remains only on paper and poses a serious threat to public health and the rule of law.