The Bombay High Court on Friday expressed displeasure over the steps taken by the Railways to ensure women’s safety.
A Division Bench of Justices S.C. Dharmadhikari and R.I. Chagla was hearing a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by Help Mumbai Foundation, an NGO, concerning the safety of women in trains. This PIL followed the suo motu hearing of a petition by the court on a woman being molested in a local train.
The court said Mumbai is considered the commercial capital of the country, but still women don’t feel safe while travelling in trains.
“When a woman travels, all that she wants is safe travel...whether it is late in the night or as early as five in the morning. Till date, women do not feel assured that they are safe in the compartments reserved only for them and hence during odd hours they prefer to travel in the common coach,” the court said.
The Bench said, “The petition by the NGO was filed in 2012. We are now almost in 2020 and till date, we don’t think much has changed. This is great disappointment...a very sorry condition. Umpteen cases are still lodged each day.”
The HC told the Railways counsel, Suresh Kumar, if any survey was conducted among women. “Ask these women how protected they feel in trains. Women from each strata of society takes trains day in and day out. Educated women are at least aware enough to fight and get cases lodged but what about those who do not know how to handle such situations,” Justice Dharmadhikari asked.
Mr. Kumar said Railway Protection Force (RPF) constables travel in ladies compartments of local trains in late night and early morning.
The court said, “Senior officials of RPF would do a great service if they took away mobile phones of RPF personnel who are on duty on platforms and in trains. Why are they not pulled up for negligence or dereliction of duty?”
The Bench said drunkards, drug addicts and jobless youths brazenly get into ladies compartments. “This menace needs to be curbed by the Railways, provided it sees it as a menace.”
The HC directed the Railways to file a comprehensive action-taken report on the issue by December 12.
