“You Don’t Look Like A Woman”: Claiming Cachar Police Links, Group Harasses Passenger Inside Silchar-Guwahati Train
A shocking case of alleged moral policing and harassment aboard a Silchar-Guwahati passenger train has triggered widespread outrage after a video of the incident surfaced on social media. A third gender woman travelling towards Dimapur, Nagaland, was allegedly subjected to public humiliation, illegal questioning and an unauthorised search by a group of passengers led by a woman identifying herself as the wife of a police officer.
According to reports, the incident took place on 16 May when the victim boarded the train from Silchar railway station carrying several bags and wearing a kurta with a scarf covering her head. After the train had travelled some distance, a group of passengers allegedly began suspecting her of being linked to the banned militant outfit ULFA. The group then reportedly started interrogating her and forcibly searched her belongings inside the moving train.
The woman leading the group allegedly identified herself as Madhumita Roy, also known on Facebook as “Madhumita Roy Mou”, and claimed to be the wife of the officer in-charge of Rangirkhari Police Outpost in Silchar. Despite reportedly finding nothing suspicious during the search, the group allegedly continued questioning the victim, scrutinising her documents and repeatedly claiming that she “could not be a woman”.
Sources informed that the victim is a resident of Badripar in Cachar district. Her father reportedly serves in the police department, while her brother works with the Border Security Force (BSF). She has reportedly been working as a tailor in Dimapur for the past few years and was travelling there at the time of the incident.
The entire episode was allegedly broadcast live on Facebook from an account named “Madhumita Roy Mou”. The video, which has now gone viral across social media platforms, shows the victim visibly distressed throughout the ordeal. However, she largely remained silent and complied with the instructions of the group, apparently avoiding any confrontation that could have worsened the situation for her.
The incident has sparked strong criticism from members of the public and rights activists, many of whom have described it as a clear case of moral policing, harassment and transphobia. Questions are also being raised over how private individuals allegedly took it upon themselves to conduct an unauthorised search and interrogation inside a train compartment.
Observers have pointed out that if the passengers genuinely had security concerns, they could have informed the Railway Protection Force (RPF) or other railway security authorities instead of allegedly humiliating and harassing the woman publicly.
The matter has also raised concerns over the alleged misuse of a police connection. Critics questioned whether merely being related to a police officer gives any civilian the authority to behave like law enforcement personnel or conduct searches without legal sanction.
When contacted regarding the matter, Cachar SP Sanjib Saikia stated that he was not aware of the incident. However, he reportedly said that if any person conducts an illegal search while claiming to be connected to the police department, there are standard operating procedures (SOPs) in place to deal with such matters.
Attempts were also made to contact Chief Public Relations Officer (CPRO) of Northeast Frontier Railway, Kapinjal Kishore Sharma, for a statement regarding the incident, but he could not be reached despite repeated calls.
As of the filing of this report, it remains unclear whether any formal complaint has been lodged in connection with the incident or whether authorities have initiated an investigation.
Comments are closed.