Mumbai rail roko: 11 cops injured in stone-pelting by agitating students; 2 held

As many as 11 personnel of the Government Railway Police (GRP) and the Railway Protection Force (RPF) suffered injuries in stone-pelting today by the agitating students demanding jobs in the Indian Railways. Two persons were arrested in connection with the incident, a police official said. Five GRP personnel, including a senior police inspector posted at Dadar and two women constables, were injured in the incident, the official said. Besides, six RPF men were injured in the stone-pelting by agitators squatting on the railway tracks, he said.

The GRP at Dadar registered a case against nearly 800 to 1,000 people under Indian Penal Code sections 307 (attempt to murder), 353 (assault or criminal force on public servant) and 341 (wrongful restraint), and various others provisions of the Railways Act and the Bombay Police Act, said Deputy Commissioner of Police (GRP Central) Samadhan Pawar. Two persons have been arrested so far, he said, adding that an investigation was on into the incident. Around 400 to 500 students from several states, who have done apprenticeship with the Indian Railways and want permanent jobs now, came out and sat on railway tracks at about 6.45 am. The disruption forced the Central Railway (CR) to stop the suburban as well as express train services on the affected section - between Matunga and Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj Terminus (CSMT) in south Mumbai for some hours.

The services were later resumed after the protesters were removed from the tracks, Chief PRO of the Central Railways, Sunil Udasi, said. However, lakhs of commuters faced hardships during the peak office hours today as the agitated students blocked the rail traffic, including suburban services between the busy Matunga and Dadar stations, over their demand for jobs in the Indian Railways. Many of the commuters, who were stranded for hours in trains which bore the brunt of the agitation, later alighted from the coaches and were seen walking along the railway tracks. Some even took to the social media to express their woes.

The RPF and the Mumbai police earlier had to use mild force to disperse the agitating students at Matunga. The protesters, who have passed apprentice exam, are demanding full-time jobs in the Indian Railways and scrapping of the rail general manager's quota (GM quota) of filling in 20 per cent vacancies.