In a disturbing incident, a woman who sells fruits on trains was beaten by an RPF officer for travelling without a ticket. The woman, who is also an engineer, was traveling to Howrah from Gundia in Karnakata on the Gitanjali Express on Friday night when the incident occurred.
According to the FIR lodged by the victim at the Government Railway Police station, Rourkela, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) constable beat her with a baton on the head when she told him she did not have a ticket. The engineer sustained injuries on her head due to the attack.
“At Panposh Railway Station, an RPF constable asked me to show the ticket and I told him that I have no ticket as I have no money. At this, he started abusing me and then suddenly started hitting me with his baton on my head.
“I would not have any complaint had the TTE slapped a fine on me. But what authority does an RPF constable have to abuse me and beat me mercilessly?” she asked.
The woman claimed she had graduated from an engineering college in Dharwad in Karnataka.
However, she could not find a suitable job and was therefore eking out a living by selling fruits on trains.
Inspector-in-Charge of GRP, Rourkela, Ranjan Patnaik said the woman was given first-aid and a case has been registered against the RPF personnel.
(With inputs from PTI)
