Keywords -Woman Constable Attack, Allahabad High Court, Late-Night Hearing, Accountability, Uttar Pradesh Government, Railway Police
Lucknow, September 5, 2023 – The Allahabad High Court has issued a scathing rebuke to both the Uttar Pradesh government and the railway police following a disturbing incident where a woman constable was discovered in a grievous state inside a train compartment on August 30.
Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker, prompted by a WhatsApp message regarding the incident, convened a late-evening hearing at his residence on Sunday, accompanied by Justice Ashutosh Srivastava. During the hearing, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) faced severe criticism for its alleged “failure to discharge its duties.” As a result, the court has directed the Government Railway Police (GRP) to provide a progress report on their investigation by September 13.
The GRP’s account of the incident described the woman constable being found in a “pool of blood” with injuries to her face and head inside a Saryu Express compartment on August 30. Subsequently, she was transferred to a Lucknow hospital, where her condition is reported to be stable. On the same day, an FIR was filed by the woman’s brother, with both the police and the family refuting any sexual assault claims related to the case.
In response to the distressing incident, the court has also issued notices to various authorities, including the Centre, the Ministry of Railways, the DirectorTGeneral of RPF, theTUttar Pradesh government, as well as the Ministry of Home and State Commission for Women.
Puja Yadav, the officer leading the investigation, provided additional details, stating, “The 47-year-old woman head constable, originally from the Prayagraj district, was stationed in Sultanpur district. She was en route from Sultanpur to Ayodhya for ‘Saavan Mela’ duty. Her intended destination was Ayodhya, but she inadvertently reached a railway station called Manakpur due to oversleeping on the train. The incident occurred between Ayodhya and Mankapur.”
High-ranking UP Police officials visited the injured woman constable at King George’s Medical University (KGMU) in Lucknow. As of now, the police have not resolved the case and are struggling to ascertain the motive behind the brutal attack on the woman.
Written by- Shuniti Sinha, College name – Brainware University , Semester- 7th, an intern under Legal Vidhiya
