Akola: A video purportedly showing passengers publicly shaming a man accused of harassing a woman aboard the Bhusawal–Wardha MEMU passenger train has gone viral, reigniting concerns over women's safety in public transport across Maharashtra.
According to reports, the incident took place on the passenger train travelling from Shegaon to Badnera. During the journey, a young man allegedly behaved inappropriately with a woman passenger and attempted to harass her. The woman initially ignored the behaviour but confronted him after the alleged misconduct continued.
Her protest drew the attention of fellow passengers, who rushed to her support. The accused was reportedly restrained inside the coach, where passengers chose an unconventional form of public reprimand. They made him wear bangles, applied lipstick to his lips and rouge to his face, describing it as a "Gandhigiri" style lesson intended to convey the importance of respecting women.
The incident led to brief commotion inside the coach before fellow passengers restored order. No injuries were reported during the episode.
A video of the incident has since been widely circulated on social media, drawing mixed reactions. Many users praised the woman's courage in standing up to the alleged harassment and lauded the swift intervention by co-passengers. Others, however, argued that while public support for the victim was commendable, such incidents should ultimately be dealt with through legal action by the Railway Protection Force (RPF) or Government Railway Police (GRP), rather than public shaming alone.
The incident has once again brought the issue of women's safety on public transport into focus, with many calling for stronger enforcement and prompt reporting of harassment cases.
