Kerala High Court Institutes Suo Motu Proceedings Upon News Reports Of Woman Jumping Off Train To Escape Theft and Rape Bid

After news reports carried accounts of a woman jumping off a train to escape a theft and possibly a rape bid, the Kerala High Court on Friday instituted suo motu proceedings to take stock of safety measures in trains. Justice Bechu Kurian Thomas directed the State Government and Railway Officials to sit together with the State Police and discuss mechanisms to improve safety on trains. Justice Thomas instructed that the suggestions so drawn be placed before the Court in six weeks. "It is hoped that the fears of the travelling public will be allayed," the Court expressed. While the suo motu proceedings were instituted in the morning, Director General of Prosecutions, Senior Public Prosecutor Suman Chakravarthy in the afternoon informed the Court of measures proposed to improve safety on trains. He listed these –State Government has been trying to ensure the instalation of security installation in all stationsState is seeking implementation of community policing (Janamythri) in the railwaysIntroduction of a computer aid system that can send location enabled message to beat police through a phone application doing away with 'Cut' (unconnected/closed-off) coaches. The prosecutor informed the Court that in the case that formed the basis of the suo motu proceedings, the coaches had been separated. This prevented guards and officers from rushing to the spot when the crime occurred. Another measure proposed was the installation of red button system in trains to communicate with guards or the control room. The Public Prosecutor submitted that such a system would be useful when a commuter needed to communicate with the guards and had no charge on his/her phone or his/her phone was snatched, as was the situation in the case on hand. "Even if you have a phone, it may take seconds (to send the location enabled message)", the Court observed, also adding that this method was easy. Senior Government Pleader Suman Chakravarthy also prayed that the Principal Chief Security Commissioner, Southern Railway Chennai and the SP Railway Government Railway Police be impleaded to the proceedings. Granting this request, the Court directed that suggestions drawn up in this regard be tabled before Court in six weeks. Another counsel appearing on behalf of one Advocate CK Pramod informed the court that there was a PIL petition and other connected petitions on the same issue dating back to 2012. The Court, when directing the suo motu case to be tabled before the Chief Justice, directed the petitioners in those cases to make their submissions at that point. The case that formed the basis of the suo motu proceedings involved a government employee who jumped off a train near Mulanthuruthy in a bid to escape theft and rape. The incident occurred aboard the Guruvayur-Punalur Express. As per a Times Of India report, a man leaped inside her coach and closed all of the doors while she was speaking to her sister on her phone. The report narrate that he snatched her phone and chain at first, threatened her with a screedriver to deliver up her bangles and then dragged her to the train's bathroom supposedly for the purpose of rape. She managed to escape however, the report says, but sustained head injuries. Her condition has stabilised, it is understood. In the course of proceedings on Friday, the Prosecutor told the Court that the accused in the case that formed the basis of the suo motu proceedings had been identified and steps taken to apprehend him.

Kerala High Court Institutes Suo Motu Proceedings Upon News Reports Of Woman Jumping Off Train To Escape Theft and Rape Bid

Lydia Suzanne Thomas

“It is hoped that the fears of the travelling public are allayed”

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