Chandigarh: Woman tea vendor ‘beaten up’ by GRP for ‘refusing bribe demand’

Rajwati a tea vender alledgly beaten by RPF officals at Chandigarh Railway Station on Tuesday, May 03 2016. Express Photo by Kamleshwar Singh

A 35-year-old woman tea vendor suffered injuries on her face after she was allegedly beaten up by Government Railway Police (GRP) personnel at Chandigarh railway station on Tuesday evening. The victim, Rajwati, said that she was beaten up after she refused to pay money demanded by the GRP personnel. She was taken to a hospital in Panchkula for medical examination.

After the incident, Rajwati and her family members gathered outside the police post demanding action against the GRP personnel. “The SHO instructed five policemen to hit me after I refused to pay Rs 2,000. They were demanding money from me for running a tea stall. They brought me to the police station and forcefully took away my documents and money which I was saving to buy a new house in Zirakpur,” Rajwati said. The victim’s daughter, Maya, said that her mother was denied medical aid for two hours after she was beaten up by the GRP personnel. The GRP, however, said that the women attacked a lady officer of the GRP post at Chandigarh railway station.

“The woman tea vendor was asked to vacate the area as she was running an unauthorised stall. She attacked our officer who was on duty. I have asked the DSP to get the facts verified,” said Kuldeep Singh, SP, Railways, GRP, Ambala Division, said.

SHO, GRP, Chandigarh railway station, Urmila, said that she had received orders from her seniors to remove the unauthorised stall outside the station. “We brought her to the police station. However, she started hitting the cops. She began hitting herself and then drew a massive crowd with her howls and shrieks,” she said.