Women to carry small knives for self-defence

New Delhi, January 6 : Now women travelling in Delhi Metro trains can carry small knives, lighter and match-boxes to ensure their safety. The decision was taken in the view of such articles being regularly recovered from women commuters in huge number by the security personnel.

The Central Industrial Security Force, responsible for the security of Delhi Metro, have decided to let women keep these items as weapons of self-defence.

With this decision, small knives, lighters and matchboxes are off the restricted items list for Metro travel in Delhi.

The decision was taken by the CISF in the wake of thousands of these articles piling up at its depot in Shastri Park, an official of the force said.

Though the items have never been counted, CISF officials said 100-odd lighters and matchboxes are seized on an average daily at present at different stations.

"Apart from one lighter and one matchbox per passenger, we have also allowed passengers to carry tools. We received several requests as laborers travel by metro and carry tools for work," a CISF official said.

"However, we examine the tools and make an entry in a register so that the passenger can be traced if needed," he added. This practice is followed in the case of passengers of certain faiths, who are allowed to carry certain items, the official said.

Incidentally, a CISF report in December last year stated that 91 per cent of the pickpockets held last year in the Delhi Metro were women. It was 93 per cent in the previous year.

The CISF data also raises a question about security of other passengers as these pickpockets would also be allowed to carry small knives in the Delhi Metro.