Panic buttons installed in women’s coaches of Mumbai locals, Railways tell Bombay high court

Railway authorities on Friday informed the Bombay high court (HC) that in order to control the menace of crimes against women on the suburban railway network, panic buttons have been installed in the women’s coaches.

The railways further informed the division bench of chief justice Pradeep Nandrajog and justice Nitin Jamdar that CCTV cameras are also being installed in all coaches and work on the same will be completed by year-end.

The court was hearing a suo-motu public interest litigation (PIL) based on a Hindustan Times report that highlighted the plight of a 25-year-old Nerul resident who had been molested on a train on the trans-harbour line between Thane and Vashi stations on June 19, 2011.

The woman had boarded the train from Nerul station at 5.10am when a man jumped in and started touching her. He threatened to throw her off the moving train if she protested.

At Juinagar, the woman managed to get off and boarded another compartment. She later approached the government railway police (GRP) at Thane for help. However, a GRP constable refused to take down the complaint after pointing out that the woman “was neither robbed nor raped”.

After the HC initiated the suo-motu PIL, apart from increasing the number of policemen at railway stations, the railways have also deputed home guards and Maharashtra Security Corporation jawans to control the menace of petty crimes in trains and at stations — especially offences against women.

Responding to the PIL, on Friday the rail authority pointed out that the railway police have also created a social media group called ‘Sakhi’, to exchange information and extend necessary assistance to those in distress. “A mobile phone application called Eye-Watch Women Security has also been launched to help women seek police help,” the railways informed the court.