Mumbai: Mumbai Congress president and Member of Parliament Varsha Gaikwad has raised serious concerns over women’s safety on the city’s suburban railway network, alleging that repeated incidents of molestation and violent attacks have exposed major gaps in security arrangements.
Her remarks follow a disturbing incident at Naigaon railway station on November 4, when a 20-year-old woman was allegedly molested inside a local train and subsequently pushed onto the railway tracks. She suffered severe injuries and lost her left arm below the elbow after it came under the wheels of a moving train. The 53-year-old accused, identified as Jitendra Hirmukhe, has been arrested and is in judicial custody.
Gaikwad questioned the effectiveness of railway security, asking what the police, Railway Protection Force and other agencies were doing to protect women commuters. She demanded strict punishment for the accused and adequate financial assistance, medical treatment and rehabilitation for the victim. She also criticised the state government, alleging that its claims about women’s safety were not reflected in the situation on the ground.
The Congress MP also referred to other incidents of violence on Mumbai’s local trains and near railway stations, arguing that commuters are increasingly concerned about their safety.
The National Commission for Women has taken suo motu cognisance of the Naigaon incident and sought a detailed action-taken report from the Maharashtra Director General of Police within seven days. It has also called for proper medical care, psychological support, compensation and a review of security arrangements at railway stations and inside local trains.
The incident has renewed questions over passenger safety on Mumbai’s heavily used suburban railway network.
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