Ensure women’s safety on locals: Bombay high court

The Bombay high court on Thursday directed the Railway Protection Force (RPF) and the Government Railway Police (GRP) to chalk out a strategy to provide security to women travelling on local trains.

“Sit together and see what best can be done in such a situation,” a division bench of Chief Justice Mohit Shah and Justice Ranjana Desai said while hearing a public interest litigation based on two media reports highlighting the plight of woman commuters.

Additional government pleader Rajesh Behere put the blame on shortage of manpower in the GRP. He said though GRP constables were deployed in second class ladies compartments during late evening and early morning hours, there was no one in the first class compartments.

RPF counsel Suresh Kumar maintained that it was the duty of the GRP to ensure safety of passengers. But Behere countered this, saying under the RPF Act the RPF was equally responsible for safety of passengers.

The high court ordered that three officers-GRP Inspector Generals on both Central and Western lines and the Chief Security Commissioner, RPF— should sit together and work out necessary steps to ensure safety of women passengers.

Meanwhile, the state government has filed an affidavit stating the committee headed by retired justice Chandrasekhar Dharmadhikari has been asked to give a detailed report on whether there is a necessity to amend Sections 354, 506 and 509 of the Indian Penal Code — all dealing with various offences against women. The affidavit states that the report is expected by December 2011.