Jharkhand News : Serious questions have been raised over the safety of women passengers at Rourkela railway station, a model station under the Chakradharpur Railway Division, after a 20-year-old woman alleged that she was sexually assaulted by a railway employee inside the station premises.
According to the complaint, the woman had reached Rourkela railway station to travel to Bengaluru when the railway employee allegedly promised to arrange a confirmed ticket for her. She alleged that he then took her to a valve room located inside the station premises and sexually assaulted her.
The complainant, a resident of Odisha’s Nuapada district, filed a complaint with the Rourkela Government Railway Police (GRP).
Woman Identifies Valve Room as Alleged Crime Scene
Following the complaint, police took the woman to the station premises, where she identified a valve room near the Officer Rest House at the Chakradharpur end of Platform No. 1 as the alleged crime scene.
Police then gathered information about railway employees connected with the area. The woman also identified the accused, following which the GRP took IOW department valve man Kapileshwar Singh, 54, into custody.
The police also conducted the woman’s medical examination as part of the investigation.
Case Registered Under BNS
Police have registered Case No. 126/2026 and lodged an FIR under Section 64(2)(b) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
The investigation into the case is currently underway.
Chakradharpur Railway Division Senior DCM Aditya Choudhary said that complete information about the matter was being collected. He said strict action would be taken against the railway employee if he is found guilty.
Questions Raised Over Safety of Women Passengers
The incident has raised concerns over how a woman passenger could allegedly be taken to a room located within the railway premises despite the presence of Railway Protection Force (RPF) and GRP personnel at the station.
The case has also brought the effectiveness of safety arrangements for women passengers at railway stations into focus.
Police are continuing their investigation into the allegations, while further action will depend on the findings of the ongoing probe.
