Railways at its wits’ end over eunuch who exposes self
Manthank Mehta | TNN | Updated: Jan 4, 2019, 06:42 IST
Sonali TinaMUMBAI: A transgender who has allegedly been a menace to railway commuters is proving to be a hard nut to crack for personnel of the railway protection squad. And the authorities are at their wits’ end in their attempt to rein in her theatrics.
The transgender, Sonali Tina (25), gets into crowded compartments of outstation trains and allegedly indulges in “indecent and socially awkward behaviour that can unsettle people around”, said officials of the Railway Protection Force.
A video, which was recently shot clandestinely by a passenger, shows Tina harassing passengers in a crowded, unreserved general compartment of an outstation train. The undated video shows her slapping passengers in jest while hurling choicest abuses at them before she pulls down her pants and raises her top.
In the absence of any complaint lodged by passengers, Tina has been arrested several times in the past, but could be charged only for trespass and obstruction of railway personnel from doing their duty under the railway act. “So, she got out of jail after spending a few days or weeks,” said an official.
The officials have now appealed to affected passengers to lodge a complaint against the transgender to ensure that she remains behind bars for the longest time possible.
A Railway Protection Force official who is deployed on the Central Railway said that Tina was arrested on 12 occasions in 2018 and 2017. “But she keeps indulging in the same activity every time she comes out of prison.”
Senior divisional security commissioner of Mumbai’s Railway Protection Force, Sachin Bhalode, has appealed to passengers to come forward and lodge a complaint against Tina. “We appeal to aggrieved passengers to lodge a complaint of extortion with the railway police so that she spends substantial time in prison,” Bhalode said.
However, activists say the authorities can take suo motu action against the transgender. Subhash Gupta, an activist in matters relating to the railways, said, “I had tweeted the video of the transgender’s shameless behaviour to the railway ministry. Her behaviour can scare anyone, especially kids.”
Gupta opined that the authorities should send a decoy or ask their informant to tip them off about the whereabouts of Tina, a Kalyan resident, and get her arrested.
The transgender, Sonali Tina (25), gets into crowded compartments of outstation trains and allegedly indulges in “indecent and socially awkward behaviour that can unsettle people around”, said officials of the Railway Protection Force.
A video, which was recently shot clandestinely by a passenger, shows Tina harassing passengers in a crowded, unreserved general compartment of an outstation train. The undated video shows her slapping passengers in jest while hurling choicest abuses at them before she pulls down her pants and raises her top.
In the absence of any complaint lodged by passengers, Tina has been arrested several times in the past, but could be charged only for trespass and obstruction of railway personnel from doing their duty under the railway act. “So, she got out of jail after spending a few days or weeks,” said an official.
The officials have now appealed to affected passengers to lodge a complaint against the transgender to ensure that she remains behind bars for the longest time possible.
A Railway Protection Force official who is deployed on the Central Railway said that Tina was arrested on 12 occasions in 2018 and 2017. “But she keeps indulging in the same activity every time she comes out of prison.”
Senior divisional security commissioner of Mumbai’s Railway Protection Force, Sachin Bhalode, has appealed to passengers to come forward and lodge a complaint against Tina. “We appeal to aggrieved passengers to lodge a complaint of extortion with the railway police so that she spends substantial time in prison,” Bhalode said.
However, activists say the authorities can take suo motu action against the transgender. Subhash Gupta, an activist in matters relating to the railways, said, “I had tweeted the video of the transgender’s shameless behaviour to the railway ministry. Her behaviour can scare anyone, especially kids.”
Gupta opined that the authorities should send a decoy or ask their informant to tip them off about the whereabouts of Tina, a Kalyan resident, and get her arrested.
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