BANGALORE, INDIA: A cry for help ignored by staff whose task it is to ensure the safety and security of commuters. That is precisely what CCTV footage of the incident of a college girl being harassed by a gang of youth on a Metro train on October 12 shows.
"The men threatened me in front of Metro security guards and officials," said Prakriti Sharma, the victim in the incident. "I was shocked when the officials, instead of castigating the lewd youth, were only bothered about pacifying them and asking us not to make an issue of it. They later suggested I go to the police. I have given a written complaint to Metro officials as well." In their statement to the police on what transpired in the control room, the security staff of Byapanahalli Metro station corroborated the student's version that the goons did threaten her in front of them. In spite of it, the Metro officials did not summon the police.
That apart, footage of the incident obtained on Thursday clearly shows Prakriti and Veenu Albert, a good Samaritan who stood by Prakriti through her trauma, beckoning a Metro security guard for help, when the train stops at Vivekananda Road Station, but the guard refuses to help out. Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Ltd ( BMRCL) spokesperson, BLY Chavan, had told BM on Monday, by way of atoning for the inaction of the guard, that he "cannot leave the place where he has been deployed". If ever there was a blinkered approach, this is it. The duty of the guards, it appears, is solely to blow a shrill whistle every time a commuter crosses a yellow line on the platform. The women were left to weather the harassment the best they could.
When the two women— a heart-wrenching footage in which Prakriti is tightly holding on to the arm of Veenu — alight from the train at Byappanahalli station, Veenu again enlists the help of Metro staff. One of them refuses to help, pointing vaguely in the direction of an office, but another comes forward. This official then stops the youth, who are about to step on to the escalator. The four youth, the two women and the Metro official then get into an argument.
The boys are taken to the control room. Another 45-minute argument ensues, but Metro staff make no move to call the police. Police too sat on Pakriti's complaint for 10 days, but they are now the trail of the youth.
Police put faces to the goons, launch hunt
Having been pressured and nudged into action, police have finally gained a step forward on the road to obtaining justice for Prakriti.
For 10 days after she had filed a complaint with the Ulsoor police, Prakriti's case appeared to be heading the way of, perhaps, many such cases — into cold storage. Following Bangalore Mirror's report on the incident, police commissioner Raghavendra Auradkar nudged the jurisdictional police into taking action.
On Thursday, police finally obtained CCTV footage of the incident from Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) officials. They now plan to cull photographs of the youths which will be distributed among all Metro security staff — even the ones who were not on duty at the time of the incident — in a couple of days. Metro staff have been instructed to alert the police in case they spy any of the youth on Metro Rail premises. Copies will also be sent to other police stations to help nab the suspects.
CCTV footage, a copy of which is with Bangalore Mirror, closely corroborates every detail of Prakriti's story, right from the time she boards the train to the visit to Metro's control room in Byappannahalli. The four fairly well-dressed youth are seen leering at Prakriti when she boards the train. One of them — dressed in T-shirt, jeans and sneakers — walks over to where she is sitting and passes comments, makes gestures and appears to take pictures of her on his mobile phone. He is then joined by another of his friends, who is dressed in a shirt, pant and sandals. The lewd behavior continues even after Prakriti enlists the help of Veenu, another commuter.
Police have also recorded statements of a few Metro security officials who were on duty at the time of the incident as well as those who were at the control room at the Byappanahalli station. Ulsoor police inspector Mohammed Humayun Naagthe has delegated sub-inspector B Ramamurthy to keep Metro officials posted on the developments. "We have asked Metro security guards to detain the youths if they visit any of the stations and to immediately alert us so that we can arrest them," police said.
If you come across any of them, dial 100 or call up these numbers: Ulsoor police station 9480801226 22942540. Indira Nagar police station - 9480801228, 22942541.
