Bengaluru: It happened not to one but two women at the busy M G Road Metro station Thursday evening. While one was groped by a man as she was waiting for her train to Baiyappannahalli, the other was groped a little ahead of her as she too waited for the same train, by the same molester, whose luck, however, ran out as his second victim managed to grab him and raise an alarm.
The incident has left women commuters angry and upset as they don’t appear to be safe even in broad daylight in one of the busiest Metro stations in the city, which is manned by the Karnataka State Industrial Security Force, a private agency supplied security guards and CCTV cameras.
" I usually try to use the Metro before 10 pm. Not that such incidents cannot happen in daylight. It can happen any time, rush hour or not. There is not much a commuter can do. More protection from authorities will help, but people need to change their attitude," said Archana, a Jyoti Nivas college student, a regular on the Metro.
IAS officer, Ratna Prabha, finds the regularity of such incidents alarming. “There is only so much the authorities can do. Increased policing does not help prevent sexual assaults," she regretted.
" This is a social issue. The state government needs to campaign and advertise on safety issues. The police and other authorities must reward those, who stand up against those responsible for such crime and awareness needs to be raised so that the public reacts to them, “ she added.
Others complain that while every Metro station supposedly has 40 private security guards and 60 to 70 CCTV cameras, you barely see four to five KISF men at each station.
Transport expert, Sanjeev Dyamnavar, says people should be made aware of travel etiquette.
“Metro stations need to publicise the dos and don'ts, such as not harming their property or other passengers, and how to behave with senior citizens and women commuters. Also, people need to be told what action to take if assaulted by someone, who to contact, what their rights are and so on,” he suggests.
