Calling for an immediate end to the police atrocities against the railway staff in the state, the Southern Railway Mazdoor Union (SRMU) held a protest march for hours in front of the Station Manager’s office at the Ernakulam Junction Station on Wednesday.
The march, led by SRMU Divisional President P Unnikrishnan, was initiated to protest the alleged cruel treatment meted out to two ticket checking staff of the Rajdhani Express.
“The TTEs were arrested on September 14 following complaints by three passengers that the railway staff had mishandled them. However, the TTEs, who are north Indians, were just doing their job by asking the woman, who was travelling without proper ticket, to pay the fine.
The woman named Mahadevi was travelling on a ticket that was booked in the name of a man named Purushothaman. However, that she was slapped by the TTEs is a false allegation,” said the members of the Union.
They also alleged that the TTEs were arrested without any prior information to the higher authorities of the railways “ After their arrest, they have been cruelly treated. Cigarette butts have been dug into their skin. Other cruel actions have also been taken against them” The two TTEs are currently undergoing treatment at the Palakkad general hospital. Meanwhile, the Union members have alleged that they will take drastic steps if the harassment against the TTEs is not ended. “ They have been fined for bribery along with other allegations. We demand them to pull out such false charges,” the Union stated.
Meanwhile, railway police officials have said that these were false allegations and the TTEs were not subjected to any false treatment. “The TTE had slapped a police officer who had come to the scene. However, charges that the woman was slapped as reported in the media are only rumours,” said officials with the government railway police.
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