In a novel initiative, the Railway Special Judicial Magistrate court here converted itself into a mobile court or ‘Court on Wheels’ to take up petty cases from Kozhikode to Mangalore railway stations.
The court functioned in a portion of a first class coach in the Chennai-Mangalore Express from 8 a.m. to 2.30 p.m. on Wednesday. Justice B.M. Assu was in the chair.
As many as 75 cases were considered and fines amounting to Rs.14,500 were also collected. Most of the cases pertained to unauthorised vending, ticketless travel, and causing nuisance in the train. One of the accused, K.K. Basheer of Palluthuruthy, Ernakulam, was sent to jail for two weeks and also fined Rs.500 for causing nuisance and disturbing other passengers.
He was charged with Section 145 (b) [If any person in any railway carriage or upon any part of a railway commits any nuisance or act of indecency or uses abusive or obscene language] of the Indian Railway Act.
Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel attached to the Kozhikode, Palakkad, Mangalore, and Kannur units took part in the initiative.
The court on wheels will be conducted once in every month on different trains from next month onwards.
