Railway Protection Force — fine regarding travelling in doorways

Address:

Chennai, Tamil Nadu

Sir, I boarded a train from Beach station, yesterday(15.05.2015) around 1230 pm..Since the seats are filled already, i planned to stand at the centre of the train(position marked in attached image). My idea of standing their is not to obstruct the passage.when the train reaches Mambalam station, the passengers are in a hurry to deboard the train.so i waited for them to detrain..during that moment, two Rpf staffs (a lady without uniform and one more staff)asked me to get down from train. So, I get down and they asked me an Identity Card.They started filling the Charge sheet, stating that i am travelling in a doorways, and they asked me to sign in the charge sheet, breifing that i should pay an fine amount of Rs.500 for travelling in a doorways.. Since i am not aware of the rules, as their is no any placards or other awareness posters about the position i was standing...and the word doorways(actual position/area in a compartment which it refers) is not clear to me, so i said them, i will not sign in the charge street, because the word doorways is not clear to me. The other RPF staff, asked me to sign the charge sheet orelse i will add one more offence into this.since i refused to sign the charge sheet, he added an nuisance case into that and an additional fine of Rs.500.(total 1000). Again he asked me to sign now orelse you can sign infront of the magistrate.So i said, i will sign infront of the magistrate thinking that i can clarify my doubts. They took me to an RPFcourt in egmore station and we waited nearly 3 hours.In between this time, the other two RPF staff and a lady staff called me inside the room and asked me to sign.I explained the suituation, but they said, If you want to argue to the magistrate, be ready with an advocate and it will costs around 5000 to 6000 for an advocate.and the fine amount will also increase around Rs.3000/- I said them, i am not in a position to have an advocate to argue..so the rpf staff told, then sign the charge sheet..i again asked them about doorways, they said the whole area is a doorway, so just sign orelse i will add one more case into that, for disturbing the duties of RPF staffs. I was totally upset by the words of these staffs, and i dont want to get into more trouble, , , so i told them, i will sign the charge sheet, but atleast reduce the case abt nuisance(by questioning abt doorways)..they said Okay.. then i signed and they erased the nuisance case with whitener...and they adviced me not to argue in future with rpf staffs...before the magistrate arrives.. when they called out my name, i get in, and they asked me, whether you have travelled in a footboard in tamil(neengal padiyil nindru prayanam seitheergala).i was shocked by this question, because the lady who asks this question were also present at the time, when they got sign from me in a charge sheet before the magistrate arrives...i told the magistrate, , i didnt travelled in a footboard, and i explained, i was at the centre of the train(positioned marked in image). but the magistrate said, do you know that, you should not stand their and fined me Rs.500/- I paid my fine amount of Rs.500/- Now my questions arrises, if one should not stand in that position, and if actually the main aim of rpf in this case., is to create awareness to people.. 1.why there are no placards or posters stating that one should not stand in that place. 2.why they are having the practice of adding an offence, if one questions/thoughts to clear their doubts. 3.and the section 156 clearly states, about travelling on roof, step or engine of a train..(and no words abt doorways). Please Give me a solution, ( if the position where i stand is an offense..) 1.in the above scenario, as a normal human, everyone in my situation, will wait for the passengers to detrain, because the space is so conjested, since the passengers are in hurry to detrain...to avoid this in future, , give me an idea what to do in that scenario... 2.Still i am not aware, whether to stand their or not, , if so please posts some placards or posters to create awareness.upto my knowledge i have not seen any such posters within the compartment. 3.this made me to think, what they mean is that, one should not board the train, until the seats are free...and passengers can stand only between adjacent seats and not in any other place in a compartment.(during rush hours, i have seen the space is fullly occupied, why there is no action upon this). Sir, kindly give answers, so that, i will be happy that i actually paid the fine for my fault... The behaviour of RPF staffs with me yesterday, making me to think, that the main aim of rpf staffs is not to create awareness to peoples, and they just wanted to file certain amount of petty cases in a day/month.. I hope that, the RPF staffs are their to safeguard the passengers, , and not to disturb the passengers... and they are not here to file a false case.if one questions them. I really vexed up, , till now i am not satisfied with their answers like...the whole space is doorways, expect seats and if you want read the rpf rules book...if you dont sign i will add nuisance case and further if you dont sign...one more case of obstructing the duties of rpf staffs... Are they really safeguarding the passengers.??or else threatening the passengers... Please state the posters quote, till now, i am not aware even after paying my fine..and i will be satisfied that i have been really punished for my fault. Thanks, Umamaheswaran.