Mumbai: Woman attacks TC over ticket fine argument in Sion

Darshana Pawar. Pic/Sayyed Sameer Abedi

After the attacks on the city's policemen, errant masses are now targeting ticket collectors. In less than five days, the Central Railway (CR) officials claim there have been three cases where the ticket collectors (TCs) have been manhandled. The most recent one being yesterday, when a woman passenger allegedly beat up a TC.

Also read: Woman TC manhandled at GTB Nagar railway station; 2 arrested

Sources said that at around 4.50 pm, TC Kavita Tambe boarded the CST bound slow train at Kurla station. She found two passengers travelling without valid tickets and asked them to alight at Sion. One of the passengers was Darshana Pawar, a college student who resides in Kurla. She and the other passenger were asked to pay Rs 265 as fine by the TC. "She took both the passengers to the TC office at Sion station. While one of them paid up, the other refused to pay and called up her relative, claiming she didn't have money," said a spokesperson for Central Railway. But instead of paying up, Pawar allegedly began arguing with Tambe.

The CR official claims that after the relative came in Pawar removed the fine money, after which Tambe asked her why she had lied before. This escalated into an argument, after which CR authorities claim Pawar and her relative manhandled Tambe. "This is the third such incident in the last four-five days where a TC has been abused," said a CR official. Later, both of them went to the Dadar GRP station to file a police complaint. CR officials allege Pawar claimed Tambe hit her so hard at the police station, that she fell unconscious for some time. GRP officers, however, deny this.

"We will shut down the system if such attacks continue. This is similar to the attacks being faced by the traffic cops. We urge people to complain or even tweet to the rail ministry but not manhandle and attack our staff who are on duty," said V Nair, union leader of the National Railway Mazdoor Union.