E-Paper
Dial 112 in case of harassment by transgenders, GRP tells passengers
AGRA As part of their drive to check extortion by transgender people, the Government Railway Police (GRP) has urged passengers to dial 112 (emergency helpline number)
AGRA As part of their drive to check extortion by transgender people, the Government Railway Police (GRP) has urged passengers to dial 112 (emergency helpline number) in case they face any such harassment on trains.
“We had been receiving complaints about unruly behavior by transgender people to extort money from passengers,” Jogendra Kumar, superintendent of police (GRP), Agra.
“To curb the illegal activities of transgender people in trains, the GRP has been carrying out a campaign on Delhi, Howrah, Agra, Mumbai, Aligarh and other routes,” he said.
He said since January 2019, 17 transgender people had been arrested for harassing train passengers.
These people travel in groups from the station and are in possession of train ticket to avoid any action, said cops.
Kumar said a few of these arrested transgender persons were found to be having past criminal record at police stations. They were arrested mainly from Agra, Firozabad and other districts.
“We have been trying to get more details about illegal activities from the arrested accused,” added Kumar.
Sachin Kaushik, PRO (SP GRP) said, “As per the complaints received, the main targets of these people were male passengers travelling with female or with their family members.”
He added, “If any one tries to argue, transgender people travelling in groups become aggressive. They use harsh or abusive language to insult passengers.”
Shakil Rafiq, a resident of Agra, recalled a horrific incident that happened when he was travelling to Delhi with his younger sister.
“Four transgender people had boarded the train at Raja ki Mandi station. They came near me and asked for Rs 50. They thought that my sister was as my girlfriend and began blessing us as a couple. But when I objected, they became aggressive,” he lamented.
Shakil shared, “My sister got frightened and gave Rs 50 to them. I also had to apologise. All through this, I found myself helpless as none of the co-passengers came to our rescue.” -Yogesh Dubey
