Calcutta High Court Issues Notice On Plea Seeking Installation Of CCTV Cameras, Deployment Of Women Constables In Women Compartments Of Local Trains

The Calcutta High Court on Thursday issued notice on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) petition seeking directions for ensuring protection of women travelling in all women compartments in the local trains. The petition moved by advocate Mousomee Shome seeks deployment of railway police personnel i.e. lady constable in all local trains in the State of West Bengal and also for the installation and regular functioning of CCTV cameras in the entry and exit point of women compartment in all the local trains.

 A Bench comprising Chief Justice Prakash Shrivastava and Justice Rajarshi Bharadwaj also took on record a communication submitted by the Senior Divisional Security Commissioner (Co-ordination)/RPF, Eastern Railway/Howrah disclosing the steps which have been taken in this regard. Issuing directions to the Commissioner, the Bench ordered, 

"He is directed to hand over a copy thereof to counsel for the petitioner and it will be open to the counsel for the petitioner to point out by filing the appropriate material to show if all such steps have been taken on the spot."

The petitioner further apprised the Bench that certain incidents have taken place in the past which have jeopardized the safety of women passengers in local trains. Taking cognisance of the grievance raised, the Bench directed the petitioner to furnish a copy of the petition along with relevant enclosures to counsel for the State.

The matter is slate to be heard next on February 2, 2022. 

Case Title: Mousomee Shome v. Union of India 

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