<![CDATA[The Railway Protection Force (RPF), Chennai division, has registered 988 cases against men who traveled in the ladies compartments of EMU and express trains in 2017. A fine amount of over Rs.2.76 lakh was recovered from them. More than 90% of the cases were in the city. Traveling in a ladies compartment is punishable under Section 162 of the Railways Act (entering carriage or other place reserved for females). The fine for the same may extend up to Rs.500. In 2016, the number of cases registered against men traveling in ladies compartments was 943 and the total fine amount collected was Rs.2.73 lakh. In a bid to provide a safe journey to women train passengers, the RPF has been adopting different measures, including patrolling and screening of the ladies compartment in every station. The RPF has also introduced special teams comprising women RPF personnel to ensure security of the women passengers. “Two teams comprising four women constables are present in Egmore and Chennai Central. Another three teams patrol the trains,” a senior RPF officer told. Most of the offenders were nabbed during manual checks. Among the 988 cases, many men claimed they were accompanying their wives in the ladies compartment. Some of them said they had hopped in by mistake.]]>
