There was no police escort on board Train No. 22616 Coimbatore–Tirupati inter-city express in which a drunk male passenger attempted to sexually assault a pregnant woman travelling alone in the ladies’ compartment and pushed her off the train near Katpadi when she resisted on February 6, 2025.
According to railway sources, there was no woman police constable available at Jolarpet railway station, a major junction in the Chennai-Bengaluru route, to inspect the ladies’ coach as part of Standard Operating Procedure. Preliminary investigation has revealed that the suspect was not a bonafide passenger as he had no valid ticket on him.
Southern Railway spokesperson M. Senthamil Selvan said escorts were being provided only in night trains considering the vulnerability. The inter-city express being a day train had no escort on board. The train was not covered under ‘Meri Saheli’ scheme devised by the Railway Protection Force for the safety of women passengers travelling alone in ladies’ compartments.
No women staff
“This train is not covered under ‘Meri Saheli’. As no women staff are available at Jolarpet, no staff could attend (the ladies’ compartment)...In the light of the incident, security measures have been tightened at all major stations,” he said.
The daring sexual assault bid triggered instant public outrage from the civil society and political parties. The victim was thrown out of the running train between Kavanur and Virinjipuram railway stations near Katpadi in Vellore district. She was rescued by local villagers who rushed her to a hospital where doctors said she suffered a miscarriage.
Mr. Selvan said as part of the security arrangements made following the incident, RPF and Government Railway Police personnel at the field level were directed to attend to coaches reserved for women passengers in all trains and interact with them to instil a sense of confidence.
He said ‘Meri Saheli’ initiative was functioning only at major stations for the safety of onboard women passengers who were travelling alone. A special drive had been launched to apprehend any male passengers travelling in compartments reserved for women. Besides the integrated railway helpline ‘139’ which was operational across the railway network to address issues on a real time basis, ‘Railmadad’ App could also be used by passengers for lodging complaints or seeking any kind of assistance. ‘Railmadad’ was also being monitored by officials at the Divisional and Zonal level on a 24/7 basis and emergency situations addressed as early as possible.
Asked about the positioning of ladies’ compartments in the rear end of the trains adjacent to the Train Manager’s cabin, Mr. Selvan said Ladies and Divyang coaches were normally placed at the rear end close to the Gaurd (Train Manager) as it would help them seek assistance of railway personnel if required.
According to a railway report, the RPF launched ‘Meri Saheli’ initiative as pilot project in South Eastern Railway for security of women passengers travelling alone in trains originating in that zone. Considering its success in instilling a sense of security among the women travellers, the initiative was extended across the Indian Railways on October 17, 2020 with the objective to provide enhanced safety and security to women passengers travelling alone by trains for their entire journey. As many as 230 teams comprising woman RPF personnel were being deployed under the ‘Meri Saheli’ scheme covering more than 400 in the railway network.
Published - February 11, 2025 09:08 pm IST
