Mumbai: Women commuters worried about safety after train guards' 'vanishing act'

A grab of a video that caught a policeman posted in a ladies compartment alighting at Vithalwadi station, without completing his duty

Policemen posted in ladies compartments of local trains aren't in it for the long haul, quite literally. Several women commuters have complained that on trains bound for Kasara and Karjat, the personnel get down midway, leaving them in the lurch in the middle of the night.

Sanchita Jadhav, a beautician, travels every day between Thane and Kasara, and reaches Kasara station around 1.20 am, on her way home. "I once had a fight with a GRP personnel, who was posted in the train I take to go home. He would always get down at Kalyan or Shahad station. One day, when it was just me and another woman in the compartment, I tried to stop him from alighting at his usual station. I told him to complete the trip or I would complain to his senior. He started arguing with me and asked me to shift to the gents compartment. He then told me not to worry because he travelled on this train daily and no man had ever attempted to get into the ladies compartment. But my point is that if they are doing night shift, why can't they complete their duty instead of asking us to shift?" she said.

Inefficiency at its peak
The police instructed that one personnel be present in every ladies compartment on late-night trains after several crimes against women, including chain-snatching, robbery and even molestation and rape, with anti-social elements taking advantage of a lone woman commuter by barging into the compartment.

Dr Pushpa Sherle had a similar horror story to share. "The cop posted in my compartment always got down before Ulhasnagar to catch the last CST train home. One day, after he left, two drunk men got into my compartment. Thankfully, men in the adjoining compartment saw and asked the two to get down at the next station. After this incident, I called up the GRP helpline, but no one answered. That policeman was posted in my compartment again later, but he did the same thing.

"If a miscreant enters my compartment on seeing me alone with no cop in sight, who is responsible for what he might do? Almost 99% GRP personnel and home guards do this every night. It's shameful that the police don't want to do their duty efficiently."

The other side
GRP DCP Samadhan Pawar said, "I need to check why our constables are doing this. I will discuss the problem with them. Also, we have recently added home guards to the team. I will make sure to find out the reason behind their behaviour and solve whatever their issues might be. If then also the situation does not change, we will take appropriate action."

Also see: These cases of molestation on Mumbai trains will shock you!