Railway Police Force in Madras Presidency-A Historical Perspective

This research paper intends to study the origin and the services of the railway police in the Madras Presidency in historical perspective with the help of archival sources such as crime reports, administrative reports and other published books. The British introduced the railways for the first time in the Madras Presidency for their administrative convenience. The erstwhile Madras Presidency was an important administrative, military and economic division of the British India, consisted of the present Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Kerala and Odessa. The railways existed to serve the British interest and with the expansion of railways in the Madras presidency, they had ordered for the creation of Railway Police Force for the security of the railway property and railway tracks from criminal gangs. A number of crimes and offences were handled by the railway police and prevented the law and order within the railway limits.