RPF SI misbehaves with woman in Tambaram rly subway, suspended

CHENNAI: A Railway Protection Force (RPF) sub-inspector, who misbehaved with a woman in the Tambaram railway subway and tried to escape from the spot by intimidating the public using his official rank, was suspended on Monday.

The incident happened on Sunday night. When a woman was walking though the subway that connects Tambaram railway station and the market area, a man who followed her allegedly pulled her clothes and tried to misbehave with her.

After the woman shouted for help, the public gathered at the spot and tried to get hold of the man. But he threatened them saying he was a police officer. The people later alleged that he was in an inebriated condition at the time of the offence.

Realising that he was outnumbered, he called the RPF station in Tambaram. Soon, his colleagues landed there in his support. Initially they asked the people to clear the area, and then urged them to forgive the man claiming that it was an inadvertent mistake.

However, the people argued with the RPF personnel, asking how they could forgive him when he tried to misbehave with a woman and touched her inappropriately.

Meanwhile, the woman’s husband, an advocate, reached there and argued with the official who misbehaved with his wife. Sources said the sub-inspector attacked the man. Seeing the matter getting out of hand, the onlookers soon alerted the local police.

A team of officials from Tambaram police station who came there held a preliminary inquiry and found that the man was indeed an RPF official, a sub-inspector named K Srinivas Naik (28) of Telangana who is part of the Cyber Cell wing in the Tambaram RPF. The Tambaram police arrested Naik and took him to police station for further inquiry.

After the matter blew up due to the involvement of the official and then his colleague’s attempt to cover it up, RPF Assistant Commissioner Rajaiah held an inquiry on Monday. The officer confirmed that the incident was true, and placed Srinivas Naik under suspension. Further inquiry is on.