The women’s squad of the Railway Protection Force (RPF) on Tuesday nabbed seven women commuters for allegedly harassing a fellow passenger in the first-class ladies’ compartment of a CST-bound local over the past month.

The victim, Barkha Meghani (23), is an Ulhasnagar resident who works for a multinational company at Nariman Point. Narrating the incident, Meghani said, “I used to board the empty first class ladies compartment at Ulhasnagar around 7.48am to reach Ambernath. Once at Ambernath, the same local would leave for CST around 8.10am. Since October 2, some women boarding the compartment at Ambernath had been harassing me. They would keep passing lewd comments at me and say the compartment was meant for commuters living in Ambernath, not for me.”

The happenings got uglier than usual on Monday, said Meghani. “When the train arrived at Ambernath, one of the women boarded the compartment and asked me to vacate my seat. When I refused, she sat on my lap while her friends took pictures on their mobile phones and laughed at me,” she said.

A humiliated Meghani then decided she had had enough, and contacted Alok Bohra, senior divisional security commissioner, RPF (Central Railway).

On Tuesday morning, a RPF female squad, comprising assistant sub-inspector Sonali Nandeshwar and four women constables in plainclothes, boarded the compartment at Ulhasnagar along with Meghani. “As usual, when the train reached Ambernath, the group of seven women got in and started troubling Meghani. Immediately, the squad swung into action and nabbed all seven of them,” said Bohra.

He added, “We have booked the women — Diana Fernandes, Supriya Banerjee, Manju Nair, Sneha Mhatre, Kavita Choudhari, Reeta Tiwari and Sujata Nair — all Ambernath residents, under sections 145B (creating nuisance) and 155B (not allowing a passenger to board the train) of the Indian Railway Act.”

Bohra said that the Kalyan railway court levied a fine of Rs1000 on each woman and sentenced them till the rising of court.

Not lady-likeThe 23-year-old was being victimised as she used to board the train at Ulhasnagar.

The accused women used to harass her, saying the compartment was meant for passengers from Ambernath.

Their antics peaked on Monday when one of the accused sat on the victim’s lap and her friends started taking pictures on their mobile phones

At this point, she decided to approach the RPF and lodge a complaint against them