HC upholds removal of RPF man for molesting railway commuter
3 min readMumbaiUpdated: Apr 8, 2026 11:21 PM IST
Refusing to set aside removal of a constable from service by Railway Protection Force (RPF) authorities for allegedly touching a woman commuter inappropriately in 2018 at Kalyan railway station in Thane district, the Bombay High Court recently found his act to be “truly deplorable” and said he had “dared to indulge” in such an act “despite being in uniform”.
“Therefore, we find complete justification in the Railway initiating an inquiry against him, finding him guilty and imposing a punishment of removal from service, which is a lesser penalty than dismissal from service,” the HC held as removal may not disqualify the personnel from being employed elsewhere.
“He is a member of the Protection Force, but he himself became the perpetrator of a shameful act,” it added.
The alleged incident took place on platform number 4 of Kalyan railway station on June 18, 2018, when constable Rajesh Jangid (petitioner) allegedly pretended to be dozing, touched a woman sitting next to him inappropriately, after which another woman objected. The passenger then slapped Jangid.
The petitioner, through advocate Samir Vaidya, said he felt unwell after duty, sat on a bench beside a woman who was on a phone call. A person on his right abused and slapped him suddenly. A woman on his left made noise, drawing a crowd, which he dispersed. The woman for whom ruckus occurred disappeared and no complaint was registered against him.
A widely circulated social media video led the RPF Assistant Security Commissioner to remove the petitioner from service. The order was upheld by the appellate authority, Principal Chief Security Commissioner, RPF Mumbai CSMT, which prompted him to approach the HC.
A bench of Justices Bharati H Dangre and Manjusha A Deshpande on March 26 examined CCTV footage, the circulated video, and observed “the manner in which he moved his hand clearly reveals to us his intention”.
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“It can also be seen that he is not asleep or he was not in a state of being unconscious of the surrounding circumstances, as we have noticed that he was conscious of the lady sitting next to him and, taking advantage that she had her back towards him, he indulged himself in a despicable act which amounted to outraging the modesty of a woman,” the HC added.
Terming the act to be “disparaging, reprehensible, disgraceful and definitely immoral”, the HC said there were witnesses to the “unpardonable” act of the petitioner, “who himself was supposed to protect the passengers on the railway platform as he was recruited in a disciplined force, i.e., RPF”.
The HC further said a railway platform is a “transitory place” for people to come and go and the woman who faced “ignominy” immediately left the platform and “did not deem it appropriate to lodge a complaint and take the issue ahead”.
The bench held the railway’s action was not arbitrary and dismissed the plea as meritless.
