A Railway Protection Force officer along with a team creating awareness among women travelling in a women’s coach of an express train at Tiruchi Junction on Monday.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The recent sexual assault on a pregnant woman on board a moving train near Katpadi in Vellore district has spurred the Railway Protection Force (RPF) of Tiruchi Division to intensify their watch especially on ladies coaches of trains to ensure safety of women and prevent entry of men in these compartments.
With the Government Railway Police (GRP) already stepping up their vigil, field-level officers of the RPF have been given a separate set of instructions from their higher ups. The post commanders manning the RPF posts and outposts and other duty staff attached to them have been asked to check the trains at stations where such posts are located. The train escort parties deployed on board trains originating in Tiruchi Division and those passing through its jurisdiction have been sensitised to mount a watch on the exclusive compartments for women as part of their assigned task, said RPF sources.
The RPF’s Crime Prevention and Detection Squad functioning at Tiruchi and Villupuram Junctions were keeping a strict watch on the platforms as well as on the coaches meant for women to prevent entry of men as and when the trains arrive and depart at both stations. The same task was being carried out by the Crime Intelligence Branch at Tiruchi Junction.
Instructions have been given to the field-level RPF personnel to closely check the video footage generated from the surveillance cameras installed at major stations to identify movement of anti-socials. The Gazetted Officers of the RPF in the rank of Assistant Security Commissioner and above have been asked to ensure that the trains are being attended to by the subordinate officers and staff at the respective stations.
Senior officers said the focus was more on ladies coaches in trains now. The RPF in coordination with the Government Railway Police have begun to create awareness among travellers in ladies coaches.
An awareness programme under “Operation Jan Jagaran” was conducted jointly by the RPF and GRP personnel in the ladies coach of the Chennai-bound Cholan express train at Tiruchi Junction on Monday. The women passengers on board the coach were asked by the RPF team to call 139 helpline number in case of any emergency.
Published – February 10, 2025 06:04 pm IST
