JOIN USBMRCL staff say home guards bossy, hard to work with
After a row over the alleged rude behaviour by the Karnataka State Industrial Security Force (KSISF) personnel, BMRCL staff are worried about “highhandedness” of the home guards with an increasing number of passengers complaining that the guards “act like bosses”.
There was tension after guards allegedly manhandled a commuter and dragged him out of a train on platform 4 (towards Yelachenahalli) at Kempegowda Metro station on Monday afternoon.
Eyewitnesses said the passenger, Abdul Rishat, reached the platform at the last minute and did not stand in the queue. The train arrived by the time the home guards told him to fall in line. “He (Rishat) boarded the train with other passengers. However, a security guard continued to argue with him and obstructed the door of the train. Then, two guards dragged him out of the train,” they said.
Rishat told DH that the guards said they will take him to the station control room to impose a fine on him for not standing in the queue. “But I was taken to the room of the assistant security officer where five or six home guards surrounded me and asked me to pay Rs 500 as penalty. When I refused, several home guards abused and beat me. I got out of the station and returned later to lodge a complaint,” Rishat said.
BMRCL sources said security personnel and home guards do not have the authority to impose fines on passengers. “Only station controllers can impose fines after verifying the facts,” they said. Rishat said he has lodged a complaint accusing Indiramma, a home guard and Girish, a private security guard, of manhandling and beating him. “The officers checked the CCTV footage and warned them. But how can security guards behave like this?” he asked.
BMRCL employees from two Metro stations on Green and Purple lines confirmed that it was difficult to work with home guards compared to the private security guards.
“They tend to be bossy and do not cooperate. Passengers keep complaining that the guards are rude. It has become a headache,” they said.
When contacted, BMRCL spokesperson U A Vasant Rao said security officials were probing the incident. “Details of the incident can be given after getting a report. Action will be taken based on the report,” he said.
In July, BMRCL staffers and KSISF personnel engaged in fisticuffs over a similar problem. This was followed by staffers staging an overnight protest against the personnel, disrupting Metro services for seven hours on July 7.