Now, women’s coach to have two cops at night

In a bid to improve the security of women commuters, who are often wary of travelling in sparsely occupied women’s compartments of local trains at night, the Government Railway Police (GRP) on Tuesday announced deployment of 112 constables. Pooja Domadia reports.

In a bid to improve the security of women commuters, who are often wary of travelling in sparsely occupied women’s compartments of local trains at night, the Government Railway Police (GRP) on Tuesday announced deployment of 112 constables.

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With this, the number of GRP constables deployed in the ladies’ compartment has risen to 344.

These policemen will man the two women’s coaches in the local trains of both the Central Railway and the Western Railway at night. The earlier commitment from GRP was one constable per train, which has now increased to two constables per train.

These constables will be present in the women’s compartment, from 8.30pm to 6am. “We have asked the railways to announce, asking women commuters to travel in the women’s compartments, which will now be manned by policemen at night,” said a GRP official.

While hearing a suo motu public interest litigation based on a Hindustan Times report published on June 21, two days after a 25-year-old woman was molested at Nerul railway station, in an empty compartment of a Thane-bound local, the Bombay high court had directed the railways to expedite recruitment of women constables to man the women’s compartments and recommended the constitution of more women constable posts for the railways.

The GRP has also identified spots on the railway stations that are unsafe for women commuters.

“Based on the data released, instructions have been given to heighten security at such vulnerable spots,” said Prabhat Kumar, commissioner of police, railways, Mumbai.