Delhi Metro, which is supposed to make travel safe and easy for the public, especially women, is in the news for all the wrong reasons. Two women, including a journo, were molested at the ITO metro station on the same day and, wait for it, by the SAME man! The incident occurred on Monday, November 13.
The shocking incidents occurred at one of the busiest areas of Delhi, that is, ITO. The 25-year-old accused first passed lewd comments at the journalist and then touched her inappropriately. When she confronted him, he apologised before groping her again and escaping.
Following the incident, the horrified young lady tried to alarm the CISF officials who were 300 metres away from the spot. Finally, a case was registered by Delhi Police after she lodged a complaint with the CISF.
On Tuesday, November 14, when the second victim lodged a harassment complaint that occurred the previous day, it was observed that the culprit was the same man who had molested the journalist as well.
The accused who was a resident of a nearby slum cluster was then arrested by the Delhi Police on Thursday, November 16 from his residence near the metro station.
Both CISF and Delhi Police cited that the shortage of metro staff is one of the reasons behind such incidents. The secluded, unmanned corridors are often misused by molesters, eve-teasers and chain snatchers.
It is to be noted that, in general, approx 17 cases of molestation have been reported by the metro commuters this year so far.
According to the reports published by an English daily, a source said,
Both Delhi Police and CISF have asked the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) to provide manpower to them for better security in the metro premises. The MHA has not sanctioned any of the proposals as yet.
The source further added,
While CISF is looking after the security of the Delhi Metro, it is only deployed in and around the paid areas. That is near the baggage-checking machines and the metal detectors. But every now and then the CISF officials do a recce in the entire premises that includes the jurisdiction till the main entrance/exit gate of the stations.
According to a report published by a daily in April this year, the numbers, released by Delhi Police as part of an annual disclosure states that a woman made a distress-call to helplines every 9 minutes on an average. Also, molestation complaint on every two hours were recorded.
Source–India Today, Hindustan Times
