Title - Bathinda rape: Protesters block rail traffic

BATHINDA: The protesters agitating against the rape of a six-year-old girl and subsequent apathy of the health officials in providing timely treatment to the child blocked rail traffic here, causing inconvenience to several passengers on Thursday.Two trains had to be deferred following the protests by the angry residents who were demanding suspension of the doctor who was on duty at Rama Mandi Civil Hospital where the child was allegedly denied treatment for want of a specialist, and the arrest of the accused in the case.The railway has taken a sigh of relief as the accused in the case has been arrested. Several trains in the region were affected on Thursday due to  the chakka jam (traffic blockade) following the rape incident of a six-year-old in the town. People expressed their anger at the apathy of the government officials in responding to the tragic episode and squatted on the railway tracks at Rama Mandi which led to trains unable to move from the station. It was only in the evening that the trains were able to move.

Trains that got affected due to the protest were: train number 54784 which goes via Bathinda from Rewari was stopped at Kalawali and had to be deferred finally. This train stops at Bathinda in the afternoon and then goes to Fazilka. Another train that was deferred was train number 54783 which runs from Fazilka to Rewari but it had to be returned to Fazilka seeing the situation.

Passengers who travel on this route were affected as evening approached and some had to resort to other means of transport.

Assistant traffic manager S.P. Singh Bhatia stated that there were announcements made to urge people for cooperation. Some trains had to be deferred also seeing the protest at the tracks. But with the arrest of the accused in the case, the railway can now start functioning normally in Bathinda region.