DSP claims cops' insensitivity to problems of women passengers

A deputy superintendent of police from Hingoli district has taken to social media to narrate her own experience about "arrogant" autorickshaw drivers outside a suburban railway station and an "insensitive" attitude of her own department towards women commuters.

In her Facebook post, the officer, identified as Sujata Patil, claimed that she was refused a ride by autorickshaw drivers outside suburban Andhrei station yesterday and that the police constables in a nearby chowky behaved rudely instead of helping her.

After her post went viral, police today ordered an enquiry into the alleged incident by an ACP-level officer.

"I got down at Andheri station after travelling in a long distance train for about 15 hours. I had my daughter, who was unwell, and a bag with me. When I tried to hail an autorickshaw outside the station, I was refused the ride. I then waved to the constables sitting in a nearby police chowky (outpost). However, they didn't come to my aid and instead asked me to come to the chowki," Patil told PTI today.

She said she didn't reveal her identity to the police personnel.

The officer claimed she went to the chowky to complain against the drivers, but the police personnel behaved rudely with her.

"When I sought to know their names, they (constables) refused to identify themselves. They told me to do whatever I could and that nothing will happen to them," Patil claimed.

When contacted, a D N Nagar police station senior official said Patil had initially tried to board an autorickshaw that runs sharing service.

"The auto driver told her to hire a rickshaw that runs on metre form other side of the road, but she got into an argument with him. Patil then waved at the constables of the chowky, but due to taffic and crowd they couldn't immediately come to her rescue," he said.

He said Patil later went to the chowky and had an argument with the constables there.

"The constables, meanwhile, hired an auto rickshaw that runs on metre for her but she refused and kept arguing," the official said.

He said police are going through the CCTV footage of the area to know the exact sequence of events.

"An enquiry by an ACP-level officer has been initiated into the matter," said DCP, zone IX, Paramjit Singh Dahiya.