Four days after lawyer’s complaint, GRP decides to sensitise personnel
This step was taken by Khalid after the 21-year-old lawyer lashed out on Twitter about the insensitive remarks made by Andheri GRP personnel when she went to lodge a molestation complaint
Mumbai Four days after a female lawyer took to Twitter to report the insensitive approach of the Andheri Government Railway Police (GRP), the force has decided to sensitise its personnel towards women complainants by putting in place a standard operating procedure (SOP).
Quaiser Khalid, the commissioner of GRP, said that they have tied up with a non-governmental organisation (NGO) which will be taking workshops for GRP personnel training them on how to react to a complainant, especially women in a state of shock and panic.
“The first thing the person should do when a complainant, especially a woman, walks in, is that he /she is taken to the duty officer and wherever needed to the senior police officer,” said Khalid.
This step was taken by Khalid after the 21-year-old lawyer lashed out on Twitter about the insensitive remarks made by Andheri GRP personnel when she went to lodge a molestation complaint.
In her tweet, the woman mentioned that women constables suggested that she should have hit back at her assaulter who troubled her. “The women constables should not have spoken in that manner without knowing the situation that the victim was in. When we checked the CCTV recordings, we found that the accused was not fully dressed, was in an inebriated state, and would have also proved dangerous,” said Khalid.
The SOPs will be shared with all police stations and training will be repeated so that the GRP personnel are reminded of it frequently.
According to GRP officials, the NGO workers would visit each GRP police station and impart training on sensitivity, “The woman had also mentioned that she was not offered water. We have realised that and have ordered water filters for each police station,” said Khalid.
The GRP has arrested the 43-year-old man, identified as Biharilal Yadav. Police officials said Yadav that the accused is a history-sheeter who has been arrested in October 2021 for allegedly stealing a mobile phone from a commuter. Shaikh said that as soon the case was registered, they scanned the CCTV and found his image while he got off at Goregaon railway station after committing the crime.
Meanwhile, the GRP have acquired 11 body cameras on a trial basis for patrolling at railways stations with a maximum number of footfalls like Bandra, Dadar, Kurla, Thane, Kalyan etc for three months after which they would decide on buying more cameras. Each camera would cost ₹1 lakh, said a police officer.
