NEW DELHI: Concerned over the surge in incidents of crimes against women passengers in trains, stations and particularly in suburban networks such as Mumbai, the chief of Railway Protection Force (RPF) has asked principal security commissioner of all zones to analyse incidents of crimes, particularly rape, reported in the last five years to assess the modus operandi of criminals, security lapses, vulnerable section of women, location of the offence and status of investigation.
RPF DG Arun Kumar has also said the railways was providing free internet to passengers and steps should be taken in coordination with service providers to ensure that porn sites are not accessible through this service.
The letter issued on March said that major complaints from women pertain to molestation, eve teasing, harassment and unauthorised entry of male passengers in ladies coaches. “In suburban railway networks like Mumbai, women passengers are victims of shoving, objectionable touching, groping and bullying. In addition, women passengers become victims of chain snatching, mobile snatching, handbag lifting and other instances of thefts of passenger luggage,” the letter said.
The RPF chief has said that of the 23 million passengers who travel in trains across the railway network everyday, about 4.6 million are women passengers. Kumar has directed the RPF personnel to coordinate with the State Railway Police and create a database of criminals involved in crimes against women and to come up with a short and long term security strategy to ensure safety of women passengers on railway premises.
The RPF DG has also said that the railway security personnel could use the National Database on Sexual Offenders for stepping up vigil of criminals and that the position of women’s coaches should be fixed at the platform and CCTV cameras to be specially positioned on platforms so as to provide adequate coverage of these coaches.