Kolkata Police has started an investigation into the physical assault on a couple at Dumdum metro station after a large section of common people submitted a mass petition protesting against the assault.

Passengers on board were infuriated over the alleged indecent behaviour of the couple which took place at Dumdum metro station earlier this week. Some elderly co-passengers objected to the indecent behaviour of the couple and their “intimacy in public” that led to a heated argument.

The couple were allegedly assaulted by the fellow passengers and were forced to get down from the train. A large section of people submitted a deputation to the Kolkata metro railway authorities against the assault on the couple.

Metro railway handed over the case to Kolkata Police, following which an investigation has been started. On the other hand, a section of people who were co passengers circulated on social media that the couple’s behaviour was indecent and it should not happen in a public place.

Metro railway authorities, however, decided to intensify security measures to avoid such incidents in future. Metro railway authority is planning to hire private security personnel and to install more closed circuit television cameras.

“We require more RPF personnel. We are planning to go for outsourcing security personnel. We will contact private security agencies for the purpose,” Metro Railway spokesperson Indrani Banerjee said.

Asked about the incident, Banerjee said that it had nothing to do with the metro railway because it “happened outside the Metro Railway jurisdiction”.

A senior officer at Sinthi police station, where the complaint was lodged, said: “We are looking into the matter. We are talking to some eyewitnesses.” A decision has been taken to increase the number of CCTV cameras at the metro stations, she said.

“Currently there are 561 CCTV cameras in metro stations. Before this incident, we had decided to install 250 more cameras. We will install them soon,” she said.

A decision has also been taken to try and fit surveillance cameras inside the 13 existing air-conditioned rakes and it has already been sanctioned, the spokesperson said. A final approval from the Research Designs and Standards Organisation (RDSO) to finalise its specifications is awaiting.