Public places are often not considered safe spaces for women due to all the things that can go wrong out there. Molestation is one of them, and sadly it’s something that has been experienced by every woman at least three times in her life, as per a survey conducted. The sad part, it happens at places one would not expect otherwise, buses, trains, railways stations, markets and everything else. But what can one do when the one who molests her is considered to be her saviour?
A week or two back, a man in Kolkata was caught on camera molesting a young girl and it sparked a nationwide outrage. Now there’s one more video that scouts for equal outrage from the viewers. This Mumbai police railway force constable was caught on camera molesting a woman while pretending to sleep and inappropriately touching a woman sitting by his side.
Identified as a constable of the Railway Police Force, Rajesh Jahangir was caught on video by a fellow passenger who waited for the woman to speak up before confronting him with other people on the station. As soon as the woman finally muttered the courage to face him, people came forward and confronted the man, some even thrashed him for his act.
After being confronted by the public, Jahangir composed himself and tried to flee the spot. He also made an effort to arrest the man for shooting him on video and slapping him.
Watch the video over here:
As reported by NDTV, Divisional Commissioner of Central Railways, Sachin Bhalode says, “As soon as we saw the video, we conducted an inquiry and immediately suspended the constable. We have not received any complaint but based on the video, we are taking stern action.” Along with this, he also said that the railway department is taking strict actions against people like Jahangir that make public spaces unsafe for others. Five Mahila Shakti teams, each led by a woman officer, are constantly on the move for incidents like these.
However, if there’s one thing that we can learn from this incident then it’s to speak up. Molestation is not something that should be ignored, no matter who’s doing it. Had the woman spoken up earlier, she would not have to go through so much of discomfort. Always remember to confront the molester, because these are the very same people who make public spaces a living hell for others.
Jyotsna Amla