Hyderabad: The South Central Railways has recorded 14 cases of sexual harassment, rape and obscenity in the 10 districts under Secunderabad Division. However, none of the cases were filed by the women, even though lady ticket collectors have been subjects of sexual harassment.
Even the RTC has no proper mechanism to deal with such incidents and lady conductors have no place to complain if subjected to harassment. In the last three years, the total number of cases have doubled from just six in 2010 to 14 in 2012.
Women traveling in moving trains and buses are easy targets of sexual harassment. “Most of the female ticket checkers traveling in MMTS trains have faced such misconduct from passengers but are forced to keep quiet as there is no one to listen to our problems. We have to deal with the issue as a job hazard as our male colleagues are already disapproving of us,” said a woman ticket checker.
Apart from instances of molestation, violence and rapes, the most common form of women-related offense in moving trains is obscene photography like photographing a woman who is breastfeeding.
“In most obscene photography cases, women are unaware of being photographed. The cases were registered after co-passengers alerted the railway police. This year 14 cases were registered of which 2 were rape cases and one a murder case. Five cases of obscenity and molestation were recorded and six physical abuse cases were also reported. In all the cases decisions have been taken and in both the rape cases, the accused are serving jail terms,” said the SP of Secunderabad Railway Division, M. Kanta Rao.
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