The incident of sexual abuse of two girls aged three and four years in Thane, Maharashtra has shaken the country. After the rape and murder of a female doctor in Kolkata, the incident in Maharashtra has ignited a fire of protest. Thousands of people protested on Tuesday morning. Railway routes have also been affected. Due to the Rail Roko protest at Badlapur station over the incident of sexual abuse of girls, the route of 10 long distance trains has been changed. Central Railway informed that Ambarnath-Karjat rail services have also been affected.
Local train services between Ambarnath and Karjat stations were suspended from 10:10 am as protesters, including many women, came on the railway tracks and blocked traffic. Police said the protest turned violent and protesters vandalised the school where the alleged incident took place last week. They also pelted stones at the Badalpur railway station.
Central Railway Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) Swapnil Neela said that at least 10 mail-express trains, including the Solapur-CSMT Vande Bharat Express, were diverted via Karjat-Panvel-Thane station. He said that local trains are running normally between CSMT and Ambarnath station, while services between Badlapur and Karjat are suspended.
Neela said that in view of the protest, the Railway Protection Force (RPF) has deployed additional personnel at the station located on the Kalyan-Karjat section of Central Railway. The senior divisional security manager, 60 RPF personnel and 10 officers along with Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel are closely monitoring the situation at Badlapur station.