Indian railways plans to recruit more security personnel considering the increase in cases of sexual harassment faced by women commuters.
With a view to curb harassment faced by women commuters, the Indian Railways today informed the Bombay High Court that it has started a recruitment process to fill up 1,198 vacancies in the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and would also appoint additional home guards to ensure their safety.
"Vacancies of RPF posts are being filled up. The entire process of recruitment and training would be completed within six to eight months. Apart from RPF personnel, additional home guards are also being recruited. Out of the 300 home guards, 150 would be lady officials," Railways counsel Beni Chatterji told the court.
A division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice Roshan Dalvi was hearing a suo-moto public interest litigation based on a newspaper report which alleged that the Government Railway Police (GRP) had refused to register the complaint of a 25-year-old woman who was allegedly molested in a local train in the wee hours on June 19.
The court had, on the last hearing, asked railways to consider recruiting more personnel considering the increase in number of sexual harassment cases at railway stations and on trains. Additional government pleader Rajesh Behere told the court that Vashi railway police probing into the molestation case has interrogated 75 persons and are going through CCTV footage of Nerul railway station where the accused had allegedly boarded the train.
"The police have drawn an inference that since the accused was speaking fluent English and was a chain smoker he must be a call centre employee. There are around seven call centers in Navi Mumbai. Police is looking into this angle also," Behere said.
He further said that the inquiry initiated against two GRP officials, who refused to lodge the complaint, has been completed and their annual increment is being withheld. "A fine of Rs 500 each has also been imposed on other constables who were supposed to be on duty that night but were absent," Behere said.
The chief justice asked Maharashtra government to ensure there is no laxity on the part of police officers who are on duty. The matter has been adjourned till December.
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