Mumbai, March 31: The GRP (Government Railway Police) has issued notices to the accused after a disabled person was allegedly assaulted in a reserved coach on a local train.
After initial action by the RPF (Railway Protection Force), the GRP registered a case on March 30, traced the accused, and issued notices to a woman and her minor son.
The accused have been identified as Nanda Pawar, 45, and her minor son, a Class 8 student. Pawar works as a broom seller and has two deaf and mute daughters and a son.
Incident on Karjat fast local train
The incident occurred on March 27 on a Karjat fast local train in the coach reserved for persons with disabilities. The complainant, Manish Hotwani, 43, who is disabled and resides in Ulhasnagar, boarded the coach at around 2.48 pm and was seated.
According to the GRP, after the train crossed Byculla, an argument broke out between two disabled passengers over a seat. One of them, identified as Sajjad, who has a leg disability, was later assaulted during the incident.
Altercation escalates into assault
Meanwhile, the woman boarded the coach and intervened in the argument. Sajjad allegedly questioned why an able-bodied person had entered the reserved coach and objected to her presence, leading to a verbal altercation. The situation escalated, following which the woman’s minor son allegedly started beating Sajjad. The woman also allegedly joined in the assault.
The complainant recorded the incident on his mobile phone and shared it in a group for persons with disabilities.
Sajjad later got down at Ghatkopar station. When Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel approached him, he reportedly declined to file a complaint and left.
Police action and investigation
GRP officials said that Sajjad had been lying on the seat at the time of the incident. The woman, who was travelling with her two deaf and mute daughters, reportedly wanted to seat them, which led to the altercation. She is a widow and resides in Kurla East.
Police said they have contacted the woman and her son and issued notices. Pawar works as a broom seller in South Mumbai. Sajjad is known to travel frequently by local trains, but his exact address is not known.
Charges under disability law and BNS
The GRP have booked the woman and her minor son under Sections 92(a) and 92(b) of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act for insulting, intimidating, and assaulting a person with a disability.
They have also invoked Section 115 (voluntarily causing hurt) and other relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita. The case was initially registered at Kurla GRP and later transferred to Dadar GRP for further investigation.
Also Watch:
Samir Zaveri, 90% disabled & activist, stated, "Causing hurt is an offence under Section 115 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, punishable with up to 1 year imprisonment and a fine of up to ₹10,000. However, causing hurt or insulting a person with disability is a graver offence under Section 92 of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, punishable with imprisonment upto 5 years and a fine upto ₹2 lakhs. This special legislation, enacted by Parliament, gives effect to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (dated 13 December 2006)."
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