The CSMT Government Railway Police (GRP) has registered an FIR against Central Railway Mazdoor Sangh (CRMS) office bearers S.K. Dubey, General Secretary of CRMS (Mumbai Division), and Vivek Sisodiya, Chairman of CRMS (Mumbai Division) for allegedly forming an unlawful assembly during a protest staged by railway employees at Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) on November 6. The FIR was registered on November 11.
Commuter Chaos as Protest Halts Central Railway Services
Train services on Mumbai’s Central Railway suburban line were thrown into disarray when members of CRMS staged a protest at CSMT, bringing operations to a standstill for nearly an hour. Thousands of commuters were stranded during peak evening hours.
Authorities have charged Dubey, Sisodiya, and several unidentified protesters under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023, including Section 127(2) (unlawful assembly), Section 189(2) (disobedience to lawful orders), Section 190 (wrongful restraint), Section 221 (obstruction of public servants), and Section 223 (endangering public safety).
They were also booked under Sections 37(1) and 135 of the Maharashtra Police Act, 1951.
Protest Escalated Beyond Permitted Area
According to the FIR filed by Police Sub-Inspector Mahesh Krishna Patil, the protest began around 4 pm at Milan Hall, where about 200 CRMS members, including CRMS head Pravin Bajpayee, assembled before marching to the Divisional Railway Manager’s (DRM) office. They raised slogans against the Thane Railway Police’s legal action over the June 9 Mumbra train accident, which claimed five lives and injured nine passengers, demanding withdrawal of FIRs against two railway employees.
Although the initial demonstration was peaceful, tensions escalated around 5:30 pm, when a group of 30–40 CRMS members, led by Dubey and Sisodiya, allegedly moved to the Motorman’s Lobby and Station Manager’s offices at CSMT, placing iron benches at the entrances to block railway staff from entering or leaving their offices.
Train Services Suspended For Nearly An Hour
This obstruction led to the complete suspension of suburban train services on both up and down lines from 5:41 pm to 6:38 pm, causing heavy crowding and inconvenience to thousands of commuters.
Senior officials from the GRP and Railway Protection Force (RPF) — including DSC Pratiksha Singh, Senior DSC Shukla, and DRM Hiresh Meena intervened to pacify the protesters. The blockade was lifted after DRM Meena assured that their concerns would be conveyed to higher authorities. Services resumed after nearly an hour of disruption.
No Formal Complaint Filed by Railway Officials
The GRP clarified that no railway official had lodged a formal complaint, prompting PSI Patil to file the FIR on behalf of the state. While CRMS had obtained permission to hold a peaceful protest outside the DRM office, the FIR notes that extending the agitation to the Motorman’s Lobby violated prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which restricts unlawful assemblies of five or more persons within the Mumbai Railway Police jurisdiction.
The GRP added that no notices have yet been served to the union leaders and that the matter is under investigation.
Protest Raises Debate on Workers’ Rights and Commuter Safety
Passenger rights activists said the incident underscores the delicate balance between workers’ rights to protest and the need to maintain uninterrupted operations on Mumbai’s suburban network the lifeline of the city.
One activist added that, on the same evening near Sandhurst Road station, two passengers were killed and three injured after being hit by a speeding local train while crossing the tracks. “Had train services not been disrupted due to the agitation, the Sandhurst Road incident might have been averted,” the activist said.
