Is Delhi Metro safe for Women?
New Delhi: Well, Metro has made life easier but is it safe for Women passengers traveling in general coach? Though it's the most convenient and safest mode of public transport, Delhi Metro also faces security
1) On Sept 4th, 2014, this brave girl tried to make her way off from Connaught Place ( Rajiv Chowk ) Metro station towards her destination but she wasn't able to move as number of people began to flood. She then decided to board off from New Delhi Metro Station. As she was positioning herself towards the exit door she felt a sense of unease going through her body.
At first she felt that somebody's bag might be touching her in the crowded train but when the action became repeated she lowered her eyes and realized that an insane man was trying to touch her body in a shameful manner. He was continuously staring at her and was carrying no luggage. She then became furious that how could someone do such thing and that also in Delhi Metro?
At next station she held the man's collar and dragged him out of the train. The moment they set their feet on the platform the culprit managed to escape somehow in the crowded metro station. She started making noise, ran after him with full strength. A man in uniform ran after the culprit. He then was caught. A sexual molestation case was filed against him and this man was put behind bars. The girl called her friends at the spot. After he was sent behind the bars she recorded her statement in front of the magistrate the following day. For now this man has been sent to Tihar jail and will spend his time behind the bars until he gets bail.
2) On 6th Sept, 2014 two women were molested at Rajiv Chowk Metro station. They had boarded the general coach right next to the Women's compartment.
3) A similar incident was shared by Nibha to a newspaper. Nibha, who daily commutes by metro from Pitampura to her ITO based office says she was returning home from her office at around 9.45 PM when 5 to 6 men, all under the influence of alcohol, entered the ladies coach and when asked to leave, they got into an argument with women passengers. And there weren't any of the security personnel present at the moment who could have been approached.
4) Alka, a resident of Mayur Vihar has also been a witness to such incidents. She told a newspaper that once on her way to office, she entered the general compartment of the metro train that was jam-packed with passengers. Soon a man, who was also under the influence of alcohol, came and sat beside her. As he was drunk she could not bear the foul smell coming from the man's mouth.
The man considered this behavior of Alka rude and began to stare and rub his elbow against her. Alka tried to raise an alarm against his indecent act. She wanted to inform the metro staff but had no option to move away from there as the coach was packed with people and reaching to the alarm button was next to impossible.
5) Aditi, Anand and Megha, residents of Lajpat Nagar, demand for security personnel in each coach for the safety. They too told a newspaper that the commuters should be well educated about how to raise an alarm.
After such unfortunate incidents, women commuters are no longer having confidence of traveling in Delhi Metro and to this some of them say that they don't have the feeling of being in safe hands.