Copyright thehindu
Close on the heels of an inebriated man kicking a woman passenger out of a moving train near Varkala in Thiruvananthapuram, crtitically injuring her, the railway police have intensified combing across Kerala to rein in unlawful practices, including boarding the trains in an inebriated condition. The drive titled ‘Operation Rakshitha’ is being conducted jointly by the railway police, Railway Protection Force, and the Kerala Armed Police personnel, said Shahansha K.S., Superintendent of Police, Railways. The aim is to prevent people from boarding the trains after consuming liquor as these inebriated passengers often pose a risk to fellow passengers. By evening, 30-40 cases were registered across the State under Section 145 of the Railway Act, which allows the police to arrest and remove inebriated persons from trains and railway premises. Meanwhile, the railway police have identified the man who overpowered the attacker in the Varkala case from the CCTV footage. They have released his photo as part of their efforts to locate him to honour him. The CCTV footage collected by the RPF from the compartment where the incident took place shows a man, dressed in a red shirt, risking his life trying to save the woman from the attacker. The footage also clearly shows he trying to prevent the drunk man from attacking another girl who had challenged his actions. The railway police have moved a plea in a local court to get the custody of the accused, Suresh Kumar, 50, to hold an identification parade. The identification parade will take place on the jail premises,and afterwards he will be taken for evidence collection. The victim’s friend, Archana, has already identified the accused from images and video footage. The CCTV images show Sreekutty of Palode and her friend Archana arguing with Suresh Kumar on the train after they questioned him about smoking on the train. According to the police, Suresh Kumar boarded the train from Kottayam in an intoxicated condition along with a friend, who was asleep during the time of the incident and was not involved in the attack. The attack took place around 8.30 p.m. on Sunday in the general compartment of Thiruvananthapuram-bound Kerala Express. The health condition of the woman, who was severely injured after she was kicked out of the train and has been on ventilator support in the Critical Care ICU of the Government Medical College Hospital in Thiruvananthapuram remains critical.
