Railway police step up MMTS safety after rape bid on train near Alwal

Hyderabad: The recent attempted rape incident on the Secunderabad–Medchal MMTS train has left the female commuters questioning the security measures provided by the railway police at the stations.

On the night of March 22, moments after the MMTS departed the Alwal station, a young woman jumped off a moving train after a co-passenger attempted to sexually assault her. Consequently, the victim sustained severe head injuries and is currently undergoing treatment at the hospital. There has been no breakthrough in the case, even though a fortnight has passed since the incident occurred.

Following the harrowing incident, the Government Railway Police (GRP) and Railway Protection Force (RPF), both led by women officers, are now working together to implement proactive measures to prevent such incidents in the future.

As part of the security measures, RPF personnel are deployed on all MMTS trains from 5 am to midnight. Each train now has two RPF staff who are regularly monitoring the women’s compartments. RPF personnel were also seen encouraging the female commuters to board women-only compartments.

Not all MMTS trains are equipped with CCTV cameras. The authorities have decided to install surveillance cameras in all women's compartments on the trains. South Central Railway and the Railway Police have planned to equip all railway stations with security cameras to ensure safety of passengers.
According to GRP Secunderabad SP Chandana Deepti, special units have been deployed which will ensure swift response during emergencies.

She urged female commuters to dial the 139 helpline if they sense a dangerous situation around them. Currently, the railways are operating 92 MMTS trains across 30 stations catering to an estimated 40,000 to 60,000 daily commuters.