TN RPF Introduces WhatsApp Group to Safeguard Women's Safety Amid Increasing Train Crimes
Click to start listening
Synopsis
The Tamil Nadu RPF has launched a WhatsApp group named 'Rail Women Passenger Safety' to enhance the security of female train passengers. This initiative aims to facilitate rapid information sharing regarding suspicious activities and promote safety among women travelers.
Key Takeaways
- WhatsApp Group created for women's safety on trains.
- Initiated by Tamil Nadu RPF.
- Encourages rapid reporting of suspicious activities.
- Supports grassroots intelligence from experienced female travelers.
- Responds to recent incidents involving women on trains.
Chennai, March 31 (NationPress) In a noteworthy initiative aimed at bolstering the security of female train travelers, the Tamil Nadu Railway Protection Force (RPF) has established a new WhatsApp group named ‘Rail Women Passenger Safety’.
This group, launched by Railway DGP Vanniyaperumal, is intended to connect women who regularly use train services, including vegetable vendors, students, working professionals, and female police personnel.
The primary goal of this group is to enable the swift dissemination of information regarding suspicious individuals and potential dangers during train rides.
Women passengers, often quite familiar with their fellow travelers due to extensive travel experience, are believed to possess valuable grassroots intelligence that can be instrumental in crime prevention.
As reported by Daily Thanthi, the public has responded positively to this initiative.
Similar groups are already being set up across various railway police stations in Tamil Nadu.
In Chennai, the WhatsApp group has been initiated at 23 railway stations, with authorities urging women to report any suspicious activities or individuals.
This initiative is particularly timely following a series of unsettling events involving women on trains in the state.
Recently, a 26-year-old woman was allegedly sexually harassed by a co-passenger on an unreserved coach traveling from Thoothukudi to Erode.
The suspect, identified as Satish Kumar from Coimbatore, was reportedly under the influence of alcohol and misbehaved with the woman near Kodai Road Railway Station.
The victim sought assistance from fellow passengers and notified authorities via the railway helpline number 139. Railway police intercepted the train at Dindigul Railway Station and arrested the accused. Investigations are ongoing.
Just three days prior, a four-month pregnant woman suffered a miscarriage after being allegedly assaulted and pushed from a moving train near Jolarpet.
The woman, employed at a clothing company in Coimbatore, was traveling alone in a ladies’ coach to Chittoor. The perpetrator boarded the compartment at Jolarpettai after other women had left and allegedly attempted to sexually assault her. When she resisted, he reportedly pushed her from the moving train.
The suspect, 30-year-old K. Heamaraj from KV Kuppam, Vellore, was subsequently arrested. An FIR has been filed against Heamaraj under Sections 115(2), 64 read with 62, 74, and 109(1) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 4 of the Tamil Nadu Prohibition of Harassment of Women (TNPHW) Act, 2002. Further investigations are underway.
Given the escalating concerns regarding women’s safety on trains, the WhatsApp safety group initiative by the Tamil Nadu RPF is viewed as a proactive and timely response.
aal/rad
