File photo of Delhi Metro
A total of 144 male passengers travelling illegally in female-only coaches have been apprehended in two days after the CISF launched a special "operation Kali" for enhancing women security in Delhi Metro.
The transgressors were caught from the coaches by the special undercover women commandos of the Central Industrial Security Force who have been deployed in the stations' area and trains under this operation.
"The station controller of the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation imposed fine on these male passengers. Thereafter, they were released with a warning not to travel in coaches reserved for ladies to avoid inconvenience to the female commuters and also that they should follow Metro rules," CISF spokesperson and Deputy Commandant Hemendra Singh said.
These apprehensions have been made during September 22-23, he said.
The security force, which is mandated to secure the Delhi metro network, has decided to launch this operation after it was found that there was no let up in the instances of male passengers illegally boarding women coaches and about 40-50 such cases were being reported every day.
The new strategy of deploying these commandos in civil dress in train coaches and platform area is codenamed "Kali", drawing from the martial art technique that these women have been trained in.
A bunch of chosen women CISF personnel have been trained by the force in a martial-art technique, "Pekiti-Tirsia Kali" (PTK), which is a close-quarter unarmed combat skill used to take on multiple opponents at one time by using obscure objects usually worn on the body.
These women have been trained to tactically use common objects like pen, hairpin, cap, belt, shoe laces, keys and sandals as deadly weapons to take on rogue elements.
CISF has deployed close to 5,000 men and women personnel for securing the Delhi Metro network which sees close to 26 lakh footfalls a day across the national capital region.
These commandos, who have been deployed according to the sectoral crime profile of the Metro, will respond to any misbehaviour, aggression or violence against woman passengers.
In some cases, these commandos, in the age group of 30-32 years, will also be deployed in uniform but in order to keep the "surprise element" they largely will be kept undercover.
CISF chief Arvind Ranjan while launching the operation earlier had said the numbers of such woman commandos will be continuously enhanced in the Metro and at present two batches of these special troopers has been deployed while one is under training.