Railway police launch WhatsApp service for aggrieved passengers

February 21, 2015

Bengaluru, Feb 21: Train passengers, who become victims of robbery, theft or harassment, need not wait to reach the nearest railway station to lodge a complaint. For the first time in the country, the State government has introduced a WhatsApp facility for such passengers.

Until recently, victims had to dial 100 (police control room) or wait for the train to reach the next station to file a complaint. Now, victims can file complaints by sending a message on WhatsApp to “9480802140”. The message should include brief details of the incident, train and coach numbers. Photos may also be sent, if possible.

A special team has been formed to address these complaints. That apart, 300 special officers, mainly regular commuters, have been appointed to help crime investigations, said S.N. Siddaramappa, Superintendent of Police (Railways). These special officers have been given ID cards, he added. The Railway police have also set up a 24x7 toll free telephone number (18004241363) to help passengers to complain about criminal activities or get information.

“The WhatsApp facility will not only help detect crime faster, but will also go a long way towards reducing crime on moving trains,” said K.J. George, Home Minister, after launching the service on Friday.

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Elusive bamboo shrimp resurfaces in Mangaluru estuary after 70 years

News Network

December 7,2025

Mangaluru, Dec 7: A rare bamboo shrimp has been rediscovered on mainland India more than 70 years after it was last reported, confirming for the first time the presence of Atyopsis spinipes in the country. The find was made by researchers from the Centre for Climate Change Studies at Sathyabama Institute of Science and Technology, Chennai, during surveys in Karnataka and Odisha.

The team — shrimp expert Dr S Prakash, PhD scholar K Kunjulakshmi, and Mangaluru-based researcher Maclean Antony Santos — combined field surveys, ecological assessments and DNA analysis to identify the elusive species. Their findings, published in Zootaxa, resolve decades of taxonomic confusion stemming from a 1951 report that misidentified the species as Atyopsis moluccensis without strong evidence.

The shrimp has now been confirmed at two locations: the Mulki–Pavanje estuary near Mangaluru and the Kuakhai River in Bhubaneswar. Historical specimens from the Andaman Islands, previously labelled as A. moluccensis, were also found to be misidentified and actually belong to A. spinipes.

The rediscovery began after an aquarium hobbyist in Odisha spotted a shrimp in 2022, prompting systematic surveys across Udupi, Karwar and Mangaluru. Four female specimens were collected in Mulki and one in Odisha, all genetically matching.

Researchers warn the species may exist in very small, vulnerable populations as freshwater habitats face increasing pressure from pollution, sand mining and infrastructure development. All verified specimens have been deposited with the Zoological Survey of India for future reference.

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