New Delhi, Sep 05, 2023: The Allahabad High Court has taken a stern stance against both the Uttar Pradesh government and the railway police regarding a recent assault on a woman constable discovered in a train compartment on August 30.
Chief Justice Pritinker Diwaker and Justice Ashutosh Srivastava held a late-night hearing on Sunday after receiving a WhatsApp message about the case. The bench criticized the Railway Protection Force (RPF) for its “failure to discharge its duties” and directed the Government Railway Police (GRP) to provide a status update on their investigation by September 13.
According to the GRP, the woman constable was found severely injured in a pool of blood, with injuries to her face and head, inside a compartment of the Saryu Express on August 30. She was promptly taken to a Lucknow hospital, where her condition is now reported as stable. A first information report (FIR) was filed by the woman’s brother on the same day, with both the police and the woman’s family denying any sexual assault in the case.
The court has also issued notices to several parties, including the Centre, the Ministry of Railways, the director general of RPF, the Uttar Pradesh government, and the Ministry of Home and State Commission for Women.
The 47-year-old woman head constable, who was stationed in Sultanpur district, was on Saavan Mela duty, traveling from Sultanpur to Ayodhya. The incident occurred between Ayodhya and Mankapur when she overslept and missed her stop, ending up at Manakpur railway station.
Despite the involvement of senior UP Police officials, the motive behind the brutal attack on the woman constable remains undetermined, and the case remains unsolved.
