Mumbai: A train manager was allegedly assaulted by a home guard after he objected to the blocking of a ladies compartment's entry gate on a Western Railway suburban local. A railway staff union has demanded that an FIR be registered.
Incident Details
The incident occurred on April 21, when train manager Chetan Malvade was on duty on Churchgate-bound train No. 90889, which departed from Churchgate at 8:10 pm. According to a complaint by the Western Railway Mazdoor Sangh (WRMS), one home guard boarded the train at Dadar, while three others boarded at Bandra.
Initially, Malvade assumed they would alight at Khar Road. However, after the train left Khar, all four home guards stood on the footboard at the entrance of the ladies compartment, obstructing boarding and alighting by women passengers.
Confrontation and Assault
When Malvade asked them to clear the doorway in the interest of passenger safety, they allegedly began arguing and abusing him. The situation escalated when the train reached Vile Parle station, where one of the home guards, identified as Manoj Sawant, allegedly pulled Malvade out of the coach and assaulted him on the platform.
CCTV footage shows the home guard using his leg to strike the train manager while the train was in motion. He also allegedly tried to provoke commuters by claiming the manager was deliberately delaying the train.
Union's Response
The union claimed that despite alerting control and railway staff, no assistance reached the spot for nearly two minutes, during which the accused continued to threaten the train manager. Malvade sustained injuries and is undergoing treatment at a railway hospital. He also suffered mental trauma, said the union.
WRMS and Western Railway Employee Union (WREU) took strong objection to this incident. Around 22-23 guards approached the Andheri GRP police station, insisting on the registration of an FIR. However, only a non-cognisable (NC) complaint was recorded, with no inclusion of charges related to obstruction of duty. The GRP is perceived to be diluting the case, stating that the matter will be referred to the law department before considering additional sections.
