August 25, 2019
A blind student was robbed of his admission fees and threatened by a
group of people at a prominent Delhi Metro station. Even worse was the apathy
of the Delhi Police. He was made to run around between four police stations
before a complaint was finally registered.
A late blind person, Rahul Singh was traveling by train last
week from his home in Khurjapur, Uttar Pradesh to New Delhi to enrol at the
School of Open Learning at the Delhi University
(DU) campus. Midway through the journey came an announcement that
the train route was being diverted as the Yamuna river was overflowing. Rahul
had to get off at a railway station he was unfamiliar with and when he was
offered help by a group of people, he was more than happy to accept it.
What unfolded next was scary and horrifying. While not surprising given
Delhi’s reputation as an unsafe city, imagine how much worse it would be for
someone who is visually impaired.
There were about five people who came up to me and offered to help get onto
a bus to go to DU. They made me walk some distance and I could make out
that it was a hilly area, full of rocks and trees. When I started to get
suspicious and asked where I was being taken, they didn’t give a proper
answer and I started getting suspicious. Fortunately, my friend was on the
line with me and I quickly asked him to track my phone. When these people
heard that, they got angry. – Rahul Singh, Robbery victim
The men started beating Rahul up and asked for all his money. When Rahul
protested, a knife was held to his throat. “One of them, whose voice was that
of a 14-15-year-old, said they would kill me and dump me there”, recalls
Rahul, breaking down as he relives the shock and trauma. They took his money
and abandoned him in the middle of nowhere.
“I was scared I would fall into some pit or get bitten by a snake”, says
Rahul. After walking some considerable distance, he heard some voices and
called out for help. “I was near the Army Public School and
the school bus drivers there stepped in to help. Rahul had been taken by the
thugs to the Ridge Road, a vast wooded area notorious for instances of
crimes.
For Rahul, the nightmare was yet to end because he was made to run around
between four police stations before the Delhi Police Cantonment Area finally
agreed to lodge a FIR. “Imagine my plight. Instead of helping me, I had to
listen to these police officials passing the buck for several hours because
they didn’t want the hassle”.
Monu Mahajan, who is acquainted with Rahul says the police
behaviour is shocking given how distraught he was. “He is 100% blind and this
kind of crime in the national capital is shocking. Everyday people with
disabilities face some kind of harassment on trains and buses so this must be
investigated. We want the police to take this up seriously”. Monu says he
also approached the National Federation of the Blind (NFB)
for help in the matter. “The NFB President Santosh Kumar
Rungta asked us for the FIR and said he would take it up only after
that. He showed no empathy or compassion. This kind of behaviour is
disappointing coming from organisations that claim to be working for disabled
people’s rights”.
NewzHook made many attempts to reach Hari
Kishan, the Station House Officer to find out the
status of the case but he refused to answer on the grounds that he was busy
with bandobast. Fortunately for Rahul, his enrolment at SOL did take
place although he was late. All he now wants is justice.
“I don’t want this to happen to any other person, especially to someone who
is visually impaired. I have told the police that I remember the voices
clearly and I can identify them if they are lined up”. He is also upset with
the apathy of the police. “Do they know how hard it is for people like us to
step out of the security of our homes, to convince our parents that we can
study or work? When something like happens, it is their duty to respond”.
Danish Mahajan, Founder, Radio Udaan, who
is familiar with Rahul’s case, agrees and says the Delhi Police should have
been empathetic and responsive. “To be made to run around after experiencing
something like this is cruel and inhumane”.
At the same time, Danish says there are some precautions visually impaired
people must observe while traveling alone. “One should stick to familiar
routes, avoid unfamiliar places the first time”. In the event that, like
Rahul, you land up in a situation, avoid taking help from a group. “When a
group of people approach and offer help, it is best to avoid them. That is
potentially a dangerous situation”.
Instances like these underline the need for help desks or kiosks to be set up
at different railway stations, including smaller ones. “When we look at
making transport accessible, these are elements that must be taken into
consideration”, says Danish.
Monu says the incident underlines the need for greater security on trains and
other public transport. “We have been asking for security guards in the
disabled compartments repeatedly but this has been ignored. Even the disabled
coaches have been taken out on many routes. What is the point of the
Accessible India Campaign if you cannot guarantee basic security
for disabled people?”
