New Delhi: The Indian Railway Ticket Checking Staff Organisation has demanded body cameras from the Railway Board to deal with “false charges of molestation and life threats” by ticketless passengers.
While making the demand, it highlighted some recent cases in which ticketless passengers hurled abuses, lodged FIRs alleging molestation and made life threats to train ticket examiners (TTEs) when they asked them to pay a fine.
“A body camera will help us gather evidence to protect us against false molestation charges and initiate action in case ticketless passengers misbehave or make life threats,” Sanjay Singh, the president of the Indian Railway Ticket Checking Staff Organisation (IRTCSO) said.
The TTEs union said that the Railways had provided body cameras to some ticket-checking staff last year on a trial basis but it was not started formally.
It needs to be expedited considering the frequent cases of alleged misbehaviour by travellers, the union said.
Singh expressed serious concern over a recent incident in which an MLA of West Bengal’s Nabagram allegedly threatened to kill a TTE when he was asked to pay a fine for travelling with an improper ticket.
Singh also cited another case in which a woman, travelling without a ticket, lodged an FIR alleging sexual harassment against a TTE when he compelled her to pay a fine.
According to officer bearers of IRTCSO, the TTE was arrested within 30 minutes of lodging the FIR and after spending several hours behind bars he was released when the woman passenger handed over a compromise note with a condition that no defamation case would be filed against her.
“The matter pertained to an incident onboard the Ganga Damodar Express near Gaya in Bihar in which a train ticket examiner from the East Central Railway zone caught a woman allegedly travelling without a ticket,” said Santosh Kumar, the Zonal Secretary of IRTCO’s NCR zone.
He added, “The TTE, while performing his duty, asked the lady to pay the fare as well as the fine which she initially refused. Following this, the TTE concerned informed the control office of his department and asked for assistance.”
According to Kumar, when the on-duty train captain and fellow passengers intervened, she agreed to pay Rs 395 against which she was issued a slip.
“Later, the woman, out of vengeance, levelled molestation charge against the TTE,” he said.
According to IRTCSO office-bearers, the woman was well-connected in the police department and used her influence to get an FIR lodged by the Government Railway Police (GRP). The TTE was arrested when the train arrived at the Gaya station, they said.
“The GRP should have at least enquired with the fellow passengers to find out the truth. It was only after the passengers took to social media in the defence of the TTE that the woman agreed to reach a compromise,” Kumar said.
He added, “There are 28,000 TTEs in the Indian Railways and this incident has scared and demoralised many of them. If we don’t get any protection against such false cases, how will we perform our duties?
“The Railway Board should at least ask the state police to take Railway Protection Force in the loop before taking such extreme action.”
Sanjay Singh said that he has received several such complaints recently in which a similar pattern of allegations from female ticketless passengers was observed.
“Most of them accused TTEs of molestation and sexual harassment. In some cases GRPs took criminal action against TTEs in haste without investigating the veracity of the allegations,” he said.
“Such false allegations cause mental torture as well as defamation, whereas in many cases the ticket checking staff is not at fault.”
Singh demanded the Railway Board should provide body cameras to all TTEs so that they can perform their duties without any fear of being implicated in false cases.
“Besides, the board should launch a free and fair investigation in which both parties should be given equal opportunities to air their grievances. No action should be taken against a TTE till the completion of the enquiry,” Singh demanded.
“I the female ticketless traveller is found guilty of lodging a false complaint, a criminal action should be initiated against her,” he added.
