Where should women lodge a complaint if someone secretly takes their photo or behaves inappropriately on the Delhi Metro?
A video has recently gone viral on social media showing a woman inside a metro station asking a CISF personnel to delete a photo he had taken. Other passengers present in the video are also seen urging the personnel to delete the image. Such incidents raise questions regarding security arrangements and the safety of women.
Incidents involving the safety of women or the unauthorized taking of photographs in public spaces are matters of serious concern. In such situations, women often wonder where they can lodge a complaint if they face such an incident while traveling on the metro. Here, we outline the channels available for women to file complaints if someone secretly takes photos or videos, engages in molestation, or behaves inappropriately on the Delhi Metro.
**What was the incident?**
A CISF personnel secretly took a photograph of a female passenger on the Delhi Metro's Yellow Line. Upon becoming suspicious, the woman—along with other passengers—confronted the CISF personnel inside the metro. A commotion ensued in the coach after the woman's photos were found in the personnel's mobile gallery, and demands were made to delete them. Following the incident going viral on social media, the CISF suspended the personnel and initiated an investigation.
**What to do if someone secretly takes photos or molests you on the metro?**
If someone secretly takes photos or videos, molests, or behaves inappropriately on the Delhi Metro, you should immediately lodge a complaint with the CISF helpline at 155655.
Additionally, female passengers can seek assistance by contacting the DMRC helpline for women, children, and the specially-abled at 011-23415480 or 8800550490. Police assistance can also be sought.
If officials from the CISF or DMRC fail to address your grievance, you can lodge a complaint with the Delhi Police helpline (112), Metro Police (1511), or the Women's Helpline (1091).
What legal charges apply to those who secretly take photographs?
If someone takes your photograph or behaves inappropriately towards you in the Metro or any public area, strict legal cases are registered against that individual under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and the IT Act. Previously, such cases were registered under the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
Taking someone's photograph without permission or violating their privacy invites legal action under Section 77 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 66E of the IT Act. These offenses can result in imprisonment as well as a fine of up to ₹2 lakh.
Furthermore, if a person engages in inappropriate behavior, molestation, or stalking of a woman, various sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) may be invoked against them. Cases in such instances are registered under Sections 74, 78, and 79, all of which provide for both imprisonment and fines.
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