TTEs demand bodycam to deal with false molestation charges

New Delhi: The Indian Railway Ticket Checking Staff Organisation has demanded body cameras from the Railway Board to deal with “false charges of molestation and life threats” by ticketless passengers.

While making the demand, it highlighted some recent cases in which ticketless passengers hurled abuses, lodged FIRs alleging molestation and made life threats to train ticket examiners (TTEs) when they asked them to pay a fine.

“A body camera will help us gather evidence to protect us against false molestation charges and initiate action in case ticketless passengers misbehave or make life threats,” Sanjay Singh, the president of the Indian Railway Ticket Checking Staff Organisation (IRTCSO) said.

The TTEs union said that the Railways had provided body cameras to some ticket-checking staff last year on a trial basis but it was not started formally. It needs to be expedited considering the frequent cases of alleged misbehaviour by travellers, the union said.

Singh expressed serious concern over a recent incident in which an MLA of West Bengal’s Nabagram allegedly threatened to kill a TTE when he was asked to pay a fine for travelling with an improper ticket. Singh also cited another case in which a woman, travelling without a ticket, lodged an FIR alleging sexual harassment against a TTE when he compelled her to pay a fine. According to officer bearers of IRTCSO, the TTE was arrested within 30 minutes of lodging the FIR and after spending several hours behind bars he was released when the woman passenger handed over a compromise note with a condition that no defamation case would be filed against her.

Following this, the TTE concerned informed the control office of his department and asked for assistance.” According to Kumar, when the on-duty train captain and fellow passengers intervened, she agreed to pay Rs 395 against which she was issued a slip.

“Later, the woman, out of vengeance, levelled molestation charge against the TTE,” he said. According to IRTCSO office-bearers, the woman was well-connected in the police department and used her influence to get an FIR lodged by the Government Railway Police (GRP).

The TTE was arrested when the train arrived at the Gaya station, they said. “The GRP should have at least enquired with the fellow passengers to find out the truth. It was only after the passengers took to social media in the defence of the TTE that the woman agreed to reach a compromise,” Kumar said.

He added, “There are 28,000 TTEs in the Indian Railways and this incident has scared and demoralised many of them. If we don’t get any protection against such false cases, how will we perform our duties? “The Railway Board should at least ask the state police to take Railway Protection Force in the loop before taking such extreme action.” Sanjay Singh said that he has received several such complaints recently in which a similar pattern of allegations from female ticketless passengers was observed.