Whether Woman Allegedly Gang-Raped, Pushed Out Of Train In 2016 Compensated Under Railways Act? Asks Allahabad HC
Sparsh Upadhyay
3 Dec 2024 6:21 PM IST
The Allahabad High Court has asked the Union Ministry of Railways whether it has compensated a 35-year-old woman who was allegedly pushed out of a moving train after being gang-raped in 2016, resulting in the loss of her right leg, under the Railways Act of 1989.
A bench of Chief Justice Arun Bhansali and Justice Jaspreet Singh made the query while hearing a suo motu Public Interest Litigation (PIL) plea initiated in 2016 over the incident of gang rape of the victim-woman in a moving train.
In February this year, the High Court issued a notice to the Union Railways Ministry directing it to outline specific actions taken by it to prevent sexual crime against women on running trains and at railway stations.
In response, the Union Ministry informed the division bench about the various measures taken to prevent incidents of crime against women while running trains and at railway stations.
The bench was apprised that the Ministry had taken steps to install CCTV Surveillance at Railway Stations, CCTV Surveillance in galleries of some trains, a passengers' awareness programme through announcements, banners, and posters to sensitize the travelling public, ensuring maximum visibility in trains in passengers' areas to develop confidence in the travelling public, and coordinating with G.R.P. and Civil Police for better security of passengers.
The bench was further told that an emergency toll-free helpline number 139, which is functional 24x7 for security and other facilities, has been set up, and further actions have been taken in this regard.
Further, a 'Meri Saheli' scheme has been launched and circulated to all the Principal Chief Security Commissioners to ensure the security of the women passengers, indicating the strategy for ensuring such security.
However, the Court noted that the affidavit outlining the measures taken by the Ministry was silent regarding payment of compensation to the victim in terms of provisions of Section 124-A read with the definition of untoward incident under Section 123 (c) of the Railways Act, 1989 (for short 'the Act').
In view of the above, the counsel for the Railways was directed to complete his instructions pertaining to the payment of compensation to the victim in terms of the provisions of the Act by the next date (January 8).
