RailEnquiry

MUMBAI: A woman constable was suspended after the Railway Protection Force (RPF) control room failed to respond to a call from a woman commuter who wanted to alert the cops about a man who was flashing on a running train on Western Railway on Friday morning. The Government Railway Police finally arrested the accused Vinaykumar Singh (30), who is employed with WR as peon. The incident took place around 8am in a Churchgate-bound fast train. Inspector general of police , Western Railway, Mahim Swami said, "I decided to suspend the constable concerned after a report in TOI alleged that the complainant's call to the RPF control room on the day of the incident failed to elicit any response." Based on preliminary inquiry , WR has identified head constable Rekha Namdeo for alleged dereliction of duty. She was posted in the control room when the incident occurred. Swami said, "The inquiry will be wrapped up in a couple of days. We have also requested the complainant to record her statement. If found guilty, the constable will be given exemplary punishment so that there is no repeat of such lapse in future."

It is yet to be established whether the constable did not pick up the call at all or she failed to pass on the information after receiving the complaint . Swami said, "The inquiry is being conducted to find out the reasons."

Railway activist Samir Zaveri said, "The RPF should dismiss the constable if she is found guilty. Stern action will ensure that others do not take their job lightly. Top officials should also regularly call up the control room to check the preparedness of the system."

Security for woman commuters has been found lacking over the past few months on the suburban railway. On July 27, a nurse travelling alone was molested by a man in the compartment. The onduty GRP constable was suspended after he overslept and missed the train at Churchgate stion.

On August 13, an attempt was made by stunt-boys—all minors—to rob a journalist in a running train at 4pm.

Mira Road resident Shreya P said, "Railway authorities should consider installing CCTV cameras in ladies compartments like in the Delhi Metro and BEST buses."

The incident

The complainant, employed with a private firm in Lower Parel, had boarded the first class compartment of a Churchgatebound local at 7.58am at Mira Road. She noticed that the accused, travelling in the adjacent first class general compartment, was flashing while travelling on the train's footboard. The complainant, who was also travelling on the footboard of the ladies first class, called the RPF control room. As there was no response, the complainant called up the GRP helpline. GRP personnel then nabbed the flasher at Dadar and took him to Mumbai Central. He was later transferred to the Borivli GRP, which has registered a case under Section 509 of IPC.

The action taken

Head constable Rekha Namdeo has been placed under suspension pending completion of inquiry

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