Telangana cop assaults, drags woman by hair at railway station

A woman was allegedly assaulted by a Railway Protection Force (RPF) personnel deployed at a railway station in Telangana on Friday night, with the personnel purportedly beating her and pulling her by her hair.

A video of the alleged incident surfaced online and was widely circulated, leading to public outrage and prompting railway authorities to take disciplinary action against the personnel.

The footage purportedly captures the personnel confronting the woman near the station premises, physically assaulting her and dragging her by her hair. However, the video did not make clear what led to the confrontation.

The incident came to the attention of South Central Railway (SCR) and RPF South Central Railway following the circulation of the video and demands for action against the man in uniform. The authorities subsequently initiated an inquiry. 

South Central Railway officials in Secunderabad said the personnel had been identified as a Home Guard of the Telangana State Police who was deputed for duty at Hafizpet Railway Station.

"The personnel concerned was identified as Home Guard of Telangana State Police deputed for duty at Hafizpet Railway Station. He was repatriated to Telangana State Police Department for necessary disciplinary action," the officials said.

A railway official said appropriate action would be taken once the facts were verified and the available evidence examined.

Authorities are expected to examine the viral video along with CCTV footage from the station and statements from witnesses to establish the sequence of events.

The identities of the woman and the personnel involved, as well as details of the action initiated by railway authorities, are awaited.

A detailed investigation is also underway to determine the circumstances surrounding the alleged assault.  (with inputs from media organisations)