Thirteen-year-old schoolgirl Puja Das’s parents at RG Kar Medical College and Hospital, where she is still under treatment. Picture by Bishwarup Dutta

Women police personnel will be deployed in ladies’ compartments to protect passengers, announced Eastern Railway (ER) officials on Monday.

The decision was taken after chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee sought a report from the director-general of police on the alleged attack by women criminals on some schoolgirls in a ladies’ compartment on Sunday.

“Women officers of Railway Protection Force (RPF) were deployed in the ladies’ compartments of the suburban trains running on the Sealdah division from Monday evening,” said an Eastern Railway official.

A 20-member team, including a 50-year-old teacher of Nandannagar Adarsha Uchcha Balika Vidyalaya, in Belghoria, was beaten up while returning from Ichhapur to Belghoria by a Santipur local.

“One person has been detained. We are investigating the matter,” said the director-general of state police, A.B. Vohra, on Monday.

“As the train entered Belghoria station, 10 women started beating up the girls,” said Runu Chakraborty, the physical education teacher. The women tried to snatch their mobile phones and purses.

“Four girls were severely injured and later admitted to RG Kar Medical College and Hospital. A complaint has been lodged with the Government Railway Police post at Belghoria station,” she said.

Three of the girls were discharged from the hospital on Monday. Puja Das, 13, a student of Class VIII, is still undergoing treatment.