In yet another incident of assault on a railway gatekeeper, a 52-year-old woman employee on duty was allegedly attacked by unidentified persons near Lalgudi in Tiruchi district on Monday night.
Following the incident, the railway administration closed the gate “permanently” on Tuesday.
Railway sources said Sebastin Mary Stella was manning level-crossing gate no. 217, falling between Pullambadi and Kattur along Tiruchi-Ariyalur broad gauge section, on Monday night. Around 10 p.m., she closed the gate for the passage of Chennai-Rameswaram Sethu Express.
Two men on a motorcycle reportedly picked up a quarrel with Mary Stella, asking her to open the gate. She told them she could not comply because a train was going to pass soon. After the train left, she opened the gate when the duo allegedly abused and assaulted her and sped away. She was admitted in Government Hospital at Lalgudi.
Information about the assault was conveyed to the divisional railway authorities following which an order was issued for the gate’s closure. A signboard announcing “Level-crossing gate 217 is permanently closed” was put up on the gate.
The level-crossing connects a few villages and is used by the farming community for going to work and transporting agricultural produce.
On a complaint from Mary Stella, the Kallakudi police registered a case against unknown persons under IPC Sections 294 (b) (uttering obscene words in a public place) and 332 ( voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from his duty) read with Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women Act.
The assault comes a week after a similar incident was reported at a manned level-crossing between Alakkudi and Thanjavur on the Tiruchi-Thanjavur broad gauge section. The gatekeeper, Arjun Meena, was assaulted by unidentified persons. The railway administration closed the gate, but the move met with stiff opposition from public who demanded its opening.
Following a rail roko and peace talks involving Thanjavur revenue and police officials and an official representing the Tiruchi Railway Division, the gate was reopened last week.
