BENGALURU, 20 MARCH

Bengaluru Metro Rail Corporation (BMRCL) suspended an Assistant Section Officer on Wednesday for allegedly behaving inappropriately at Jalahalli Metro Station on 16 March.

A group of women employed in the security division of Namma Metro lodged complaints with the Metro authorities and Subramanyanagar police, alleging sexual harassment by their senior colleague Gajendra. The women said Gajendra used obscene language, made inappropriate physical contact and sexually harassed them. The Assistant Section Officer even threatened the victims with false charges and transfers if they objected to his behaviour, the complaint said.

City Police said that they had forwarded the complaint to the police officers concerned. They urged the public to dial emergency helpline number 112 in case of distress or emergencies.

This incident adds to recent cases of sexual harassment within the metro system. Previously, two female security guards stationed at Rajajinagar and Yeshwantpur metro stations accused an assistant divisional officer of sexually harassing them. Earlier in January, BMRCL invoking Metro Railways (Operation and Maintenance) Act, 2002, fined a male passenger of Rs 10,000 for misbehaving with a female passenger. -Salar News