Kerala: Safety of women passengers in trains still at stake

Thiruvananthapuram: After the Soumya murder case in 2011, the High Court had directed the railways to take steps to ensure the safety of women passengers. Though the court had taken up a contempt of court petition  against the railways for not honouring its verdict on ensuring the safety of women during travel, it was dropped last month following the affidavit filed by the chief security commissioner of Railway Protection Force that they had taken measures to ensure their safety.   

However, the railways has not moved the ladies compartment from the end to the middle of the train citing practical difficulties. This is  even after the announcement in the last railway budget that the ladies compartment would be shifted to the centre of trains. Sources said that the railways had taken steps to ensure  RPF escort in all ladies coaches during night time. The railways has also deployed women constables in  trains and  stations in the state and put in place an all-India RPF helpline number 182.

However, sources in the railways said that there was an acute shortage of personnel in the RPF force. The number of RPF staff in the state was less than 400.  The Southern Railway had only a single battalion with  two divisions – one in Palakkad and the other in Thiruvananthapuram. The RPF did not have the power to register or investigate criminal cases which  have to be handed over to the government railway police for investigation, sources said.

Activist and poet M.R. Jayageetha who has faced harassment from the  railway personnel told Deccan Chronicle that though the railways had  introduced some measures for improving the safety of women passengers, the inadequate number of police personnel in trains was an issue.  There was a shortage of both RPF and government railway police in the state,  she  said.