School girls harassed, roughed up in train; Nitish Kumar orders probe

Dhanbad/Patna: A group of girl students of a missionary school in Dhanbad were allegedly harassed and their train seats forcibly occupied by some youths when they were returning from an environmental camp in Patna.

In a complaint lodged with the Dhanbad Railway division of East Central Railway (Hazipur) on Monday, a delegation of teachers of Carmel School alleged that unauthorised persons occupied the confirmed berths of 34 of 98 students travelling in the Ganga-Damodar Express on Saturday night.

The delegation, led by the school's vice-principal Sister Sayrel, alleged that no action was taken when they complained to the GRP of Patna railway station about the matter.

The delegation in a memorandum handed over to the office of the DRM B.B. Singh alleged that the teachers protested against the unruly behaviour of the youths, but the youths did not pay heed.

Railway Superintendent of Police of Patna Upendra Kumar Sinha told PTI that he had spoken to his Dhanbad counterpart about the incident.

Meanwhile, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar has asked additional director general of police (Railway) P.N. Rai to inquire into the matter. "It is really an unfortunate incident. I have asked ADG, Railway to inquire into the episode and initiate necessary lawful action," Kumar said at a function.

A large number of youths claiming to be examinees for a railway recruitment test of the East Central Railway at Dhanbad boarded the train from Patna and occupied the reserved seats of the girls. Meanwhile, sources said that senior rail SP of Patna had informed the Dhanbad railway division that five GRP personnel had been suspended for dereliction of duty.

The Patna Railway SP said the suspended persons included three members of the escort party of GRP in the train, a sub-inspector rank officer who was in-charge of GRP Patna on Saturday night and another policeman on duty on the platform of the Patna railway station.

Sinha, however, said the students were not harassed as alleged by the school delegation in Dhanbad. "The complaint mentions illegal occupation of reserved seats of the girls by the youths in S1 and B2 coaches. Still we are not taking chance and a police team from Patna GRP will go to Dhanbad to talk to the school authority and the students," he said.