NEWSLINKS
US EDITION
COLUMNISTS
DIARY
SPECIALS
INTERVIEWS
CAPITAL BUZZ
REDIFF POLL
DEAR REDIFF
THE STATES
YEH HAI INDIA!
ELECTION 99
ELECTIONS
ARCHIVES

Search Rediff

Railway Board goes in appeal in gang-rape case

Mohammad Javed R in Calcutta

The country woke up to a ghastly crime on February 28, 1998, when a woman of Bangladeshi origin was gang-raped by some railway employees at Howrah Station's Yatri Niwas. It took nearly two years for the victim to get justice. The Supreme Court awarded her a compensation of Rs10 lakh in its historic judgment on January 28 this year.

The woman, however, may have to wait a little more before she receives the compensation as both the Indian Forum for Intellectuals and the Railway Board have decided to go in appeal to the SC's Division Bench.

Talking to rediff.com, the Eastern Railway's chief public relations officer, K Mukhopaddhyay said since the act complained of had not been performed in course of the official duty, the railway should not have been held responsible.

Though the IFI does not disagree with the judgment, it believes that the compensation should come from the tax-payers.

Maitrayee Chatterjee, a women activist and member of women organisation Maitrayee, who had first taken up the case in the high court, however, appeared optimistic. "All I can say is that they (the Railway Board) will not succeed in convincing the Division Bench to reverse the judgment,'' she said.

The Bangladeshi woman, an elected representative of Awami League, was gang-raped at Howrah Railway Station's Yatri Niwas two years ago. Some railway employees had apparently taken her there on the pretext of confirming her ticket.

Back to top

Tell us what you think of this report