Badlapur Protest Affects Central Railway Services, No Trains Running Beyond Ambarnath; Police Lathi-Charge Agitators (Video)

After the two four-year-old girls were sexually assaulted in a school in Badlapur near Mumbai, the citizens have called for a citywide bandh. The angry citizens are also protesting at Badlapur railway station, because of which Central Railway (CR) services are affected. As of 6 pm, the CR trains continue to remain halted beyond Ambarnath. The police are on the spot to disperse the protestors from railway tracks.

Several long-distance trains have been diverted too. The CR commuters are facing a hard time travelling back home in the evening peak hours.

"The CR services on the CSMT-Kasara line are working. On the CSMT-Karjat line, trains are running up to Ambarnath only. Trains are running from CSMT to Ambarnath," said P D Patil, CR spokesperson.

"Public Agitation due to external matters at Badlapur, local services are affected between Ambarnath and Karjat on both Up and Down lines. Authorities are trying to resolve the issue as early as possible," the CR posted on X.

"At Badlapur station the train movement from 10.10 am is held up due to protest for non-railway issues," informed Dr Swapnil Nila, CR chief spokesperson informed in the morning.

At the time the country is reeling under the horrifying incident of rape and murder of a resident doctor in Kolkata, another shocking incident came to light in Badlapur. Two four-year-old girls were sexually assaulted by a school sweeper in a reputed school in Badlapur. The incident took place on August 12 and 13.

The citizens are furious because the parents were made to wait over 12 hours to file an FIR and that the school administration also did not take swift action against the culprit. The case has been registered under BNS sections, 65(2), 74, 75, 76 and POCSO 4(2), 8, 10.

The citizens are protesting outside the school demanding answers for the safety of children, especially girl students in the school. The protest is receiving widespread support from local unions including rickshaw drivers, bus operators, local shopowners, and political parties.