Two Doberman Pinschers, Leo and Juhi, were the centre of attraction of a Fortress check conducted by the Western Railway at one of the most crowded stations this morning. They were posted by the railway to guard possible routes which would be used by ticketless travellers to escape from over 140-odd ticket-checkers at the station.

For the railway staff, it was another day at duty, catching people who dare to travel without tickets on the Mumbai suburban system. But for the dogs, it was an altogether new experience. Not once in their lifetime have they seen over a lakh of people at one station at the same time.

Juhi, who is named after actress Juhi Chawla though the resemblance with the actress is not immediately apparent, was uncomfortable with the crowd. The three-and-a-half year old bitch kept shifting from one leg to the other, as trains came in bringing with them hundreds ofpeople rushing to their offices on a wet Tuesday morning. But Leo, the more excitable of the two, eyed everyone with suspicion. When a few ticketless commuters tried to run away towards the end of the platform, he stood in front of them and barked, stopping them in their tracks.

Meanwhile, ticket checking on the platforms continued unhindered. For the railway the drive has been a success. Over 900 cases were made out during the drive, earning the railways Rs 51,000 through fines. But for Leo and Juhi, it was a day out in the rains, something which the doctor has ordered them not to do.

Both of them might have enjoyed getting drenched no doubt. According to rules at the Railway Protection Force Barracks at Mahalakshmi, where they are kept, these dogs are to be washed twice in a month. But hunger was another matter altogether.

``We fed the dogs at 6 am, just before we left for Andheri,'' said Arun Mali, patting his pet sadly. ``They came to us when they were 40 days old, and have been adorable eversince,'' said Mali. Three years of training have left Juhi devoted to her master, she obeys his commands unquestioningly. The dogs have been trained to stop a fugitive by clamping his right hand in its jaws. ``Once it has caught hold of you, it won't let go,'' said Mali.

But three years of training have not equipped her with the pressure of the task ahead. ``They are tracker dogs, used for following criminals using scents left behind them,'' says an RPF sub-inspector. In Mumbai, the scent of a ticketless traveller would be impossible to detect.

The only choice for the dogs is to trust their masters' instructions. When a slow train from Borivli entered Andheri railway station, Mali readied Juhi for catching anyone who tried running away from the platform. Sure enough a youth jumps out of the train and runs back, only to find the sleek black Doberman, as ordered by Mali, in his path. The youth stops in his tracks and meekly pays the fine.

The dogs did the railway a world of good today - they provedcommuters they would not bite unless required. More importantly, they showed commuters that safety lay in buying a ticket.

This being the mating season of the dogs, both Juhi and Leo had many things in mind other than catching fugitive ticketless commuters. ``Juhi is presently undergoing a lot of emotional difficulties,'' said an officer. Though the doctors have ordered rest for her, Juhi stayed on at the station till the end of the drive. Jagir Singh, senior divisional safety commissioner, claimed she was used because other Dobermans were not available. ``We will rest her next time,'' he added.

According to railway authorities, these dogs have been used in non-suburban sections of the railways for over three years now. They stand guard on the platform of a small station even as an army of ticket-checkers check the train in five minutes. But Mumbai is a different story.