Four youth use lift reserved for handicapped and seniors, get punished

The youth seen outside the elevator reserved for Divyangjan and senior citizens at Virar railway station. Pic/Hanif Patel

Punishment for four youth who were trying to use an elevator meant only for handicapped and senior citizens became an education as a Railway Magistrate ordered them to engage in community service for two days by spreading awareness about reserved elevators.

The four youth, Mitesh Shivram Solanki, 25, Vidhan Ashok Shiladkar, 20, Sachin Ghanilal Yadav, 18, and Santosh Sharma, 25, were caught at an elevator at Virar railway station by Railway Magistrate RN Chavan on October 5. "The moment they pressed the button for the elevator, the magistrate saw them and told us to bring them to his mobile court at Virar," said an officer attached to the Railway Protection Force (RPF), Virar.

"They were booked under Section 155(a) (entering a compartment wherein no berth or seat has been reserved by a railway administration for his use) of the Indian Railways Act. They were given the option of community service and imprisonment for six months. They chose the former and we gave them placards," said RPF head constable Mukesh Tyagi.
Maharashtra Security Force (MSF) and RPF personnel kept a watch on the four as they spread knowledge with a smile.

Talking to mid-day, Solanki said, "We received positive response from most of the commuters but a few carrying heavy luggage and women carrying buckets of fish were adamant about using the elevator." Shiladkar, said, "We were told to come from 9pm-11:30am and 3pm-6pm for two days, October 6 and 7. We were not held captive. We never felt punished. In fact, we happily completed the task and liked spreading awareness." "We would like to request commuters to not use elevators reserved for Divyangjan and the elders," Shiladkar said.

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